District councillors in Bray have unanimously agreed to overhaul the long discussed town team structure, after a detailed debate on the future of the town centre, the government’s planned reforms to local government, and growing unease about the condition of the town’s main street.

The decision came after Cllr Joe Behan tabled a motion at the district’s September monthly meeting, welcoming the government’s commitment to establishing new municipal councils in larger towns and calling for Bray to position itself to take advantage of the shift.

He argued that the reforms represent the first meaningful acknowledgement since 2014 that towns of Bray’s scale require enhanced powers to manage their own affairs, and said councillors should begin preparing now rather than waiting until the next local election cycle in 2029.

Cllr Behan proposed the creation of a town centre forum chaired by the cathaoirleach and comprising all Bray MD members, the Bray Chamber of Commerce, Bray Retailers Group, the Alliance of Bray Residents Associations and Bray Tidy Towns.

The forum, he said, would hear presentations from each group, invite contributions from residents and other organisations, and produce an action plan for strengthening Bray as a retail destination.

He accepted the statutory powers of any future municipal council will only become clear once legislation is enacted, but argued that Bray should not wait passively for the government to set out the details.

He also raised concerns about the opening of two vape shops in the town over the summer, saying it sends the wrong message about Bray’s identity and the direction of its main commercial street.

He called for regular town hall meetings to gather feedback from residents and criticised Wicklow County Council for “sitting on €80 million in capital levies”, saying the money should be used more proactively to support town centre renewal.

District officials noted that the Town Centre First scheme already provides a framework for town centre work and that any new statutory powers will depend on the forthcoming legislation.

This prompted Cllr Caroline Winstanley to propose an amendment, shifting the focus away from creating a new forum and towards redrafting the terms of reference of the existing town team.

She said there are multiple funding streams available for town centre projects, but that Bray needs a clear governance structure to access them effectively.

Her amendment quickly gained traction among councillors, who argued that the town team model is broader, more flexible and more suited to the type of collaborative work required.

Cllr Erika Doyle said there is a core group of people who care deeply about Bray and that a town centre health check should be prioritised to give an accurate picture of the town’s strengths and weaknesses.

She said the health check would provide a baseline for future decisions and help ensure that any action plan is grounded in evidence rather than assumptions.

Cllr Melanie Corrigan echoed this view, saying Bray has enormous potential, but needs a structured approach to unlock it. She noted that the town team’s terms of reference were explored in 2023, but never finalised, and said an independent health check is overdue, given that the last one took place in 2019 at the Royal Hotel.

Cllr Ned Whelan said businesses in Bray are eager to see a town team established and want to see work begin without further delay. He said the town centre has been discussed repeatedly, but that momentum has been lacking, and that the amendment offers a practical way to move forward.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Malachai Duddy, who seconded Cllr Behan’s original motion, said it is “sad to see the state of the main street” and that he favours the town team model as a way to bring together the various interests involved.

He said there needs to be a coordinated effort to address vacancy, improve the public realm and restore confidence among traders and residents.

District manager Jackie Carroll told councillors that significant work has already been carried out since the last health check seven years ago, but needs to be reviewed. She said the health check will be “front and centre” of the next phase of discussions and will play a key role in shaping the town team’s priorities.

She also said the review will help identify gaps in existing plans and ensure that Bray is ready to respond once the government’s local government reforms take shape.

After further discussion, councillors unanimously supported Cllr Winstanley’s amendment, effectively reframing the original motion.

The district will now focus on redrafting the town team’s terms of reference, commissioning a new town centre health check and using both to guide future work on Bray’s town centre.

The decision marks a renewed effort to address long-standing concerns about the main street and to prepare Bray for the wider changes expected in local government over the coming years.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme