#Greystones - Greystones Harbour will get its new marine clubhouses in 2015, as the Wicklow Times reported recently.
Wicklow County Council member Derek Mitchell spoke of his delight at progress being made after a meeting with developer Sisk in late September.
Previously Cllr Mitchell was behind the call to fast-track the construction of clubhouse facilities for the various bodies that use the harbour.
"I have been asking or this and am very pleased that there is a commitment to restart and give free clubhouses to five organisations," he said.
The organisations in question are the local community clubs for sea scouts, rowers, divers, anglers and sailors. Work on their clubhouses is set to begin in January with completion by the end of 2015 at the latest.
In addition, Wicklow TD and Minister for the OPW, Simon Harris, expects a new coastguard building to be constructed from the beginning of 2015.
As of yet no timeline has been set by Sisk for the completion of the rest of the harbour after work stalled many months ago.
Meanwhile, Cllr Mitchell has emphasised that commercial fishing at Greystones Harbour is no longer feasible as its focus shifts to recreational and residential use.
Writing in the Wicklow Voice on 30 October, he outlined the challenges of space in the Wicklow town's harbour that preclude commercial fishing and recreational functions working side by side.
"The overall benefit to the 18,000 people in Greystones is for [the harbour] to be a leisure harbour and visitor destination, not a fishing port."
Cllr Mitchell compared the significant contemporary use of the harbour area by locals leisure boating, partaking in watersport and walking the new pier promenade to the lone person fishing full time from the old harbour before its closure.
"A number of other people may claim to be local fishermen but until two months ago none are listed as having a fishing licence (a Certificate of Registry for Sea Fishing Boat).
"This is required to land and sell fish so they were not commercial fishermen and have not been disadvantaged," he added.
