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10
Aug 2001
National Roads Proposals For County Kilkenny
Following recent press coverage of the on-going debate on the National
Roads proposals for County Kilkenny, Mr. John McCormack, Director of
Services with Kilkenny County Council has, in an interview with the Kilkenny
People, sought to clarify a number of the issues that the debate has raised.
Mr McCormack sought to place the debate in context by first outlining the
background to the proposals:
1.
Government Policy: The National Development Plan 2000-2006 is
the Governments strategic long-term plan for the next 6 years and
way beyond. It recognises what it calls "the infrastructural
deficit" that, it says, will hamper the future development of
the country and it lays out the plans, policies and investments that
are required to address this infrastructural deficit over the timeframe
of the plan and thereby lay the foundations for the future economic
development of the country. It allocates a total of £4.7 billion
for national roads - 12% of all planned investment of the six year
period of the plan. The proposals to construct new national roads
to dual-carriageway or motorway standard on the N8 between Cullahill
and Cashel and on the N9/N10 between Kilcullen and Waterford are
part of this plan and are as such stated government policy.
2. Role of National
Roads Authority: The National Roads Authority is the body with
the responsibility for the delivery of the national roads programme
in accordance with this Government policy. It allocates funding for
the various road projects and it supervises project planning and
implementation by local authorities. The NRA, therefore, does not
have an on-the-ground role to play. This is left to the local authority.
However, should the local authority, for whatever reason decide not
to implement the road scheme in their area then the NRA have the
legal power to do so directly.
3. Role of Kilkenny
County Council: Local Authorities throughout the country have
the responsibility for implementing the national policy as it relates
to the national roads programme. Kilkenny County Council is the local
authority responsible for managing three of the major projects under
the NDP;
- N8 Cullahill to
Cashel - a 43 km long scheme transcending 4 counties
- N9 Kilcullen to
Waterford - a 105 km long scheme transcending 3 or 4 county boundaries
- N24 Mooncoin Bypass
In addition to these
roads the County is to benefit from a number of other major roads projects
- N25 Waterford
City Bypass - being administered by Waterford Corporation
- N25 New Ross Bypass
- being administered by Wexford County Council
- Extension of the
Kilkenny City Ring road and
- the realignment
at Campions bend on the Freshford Road.
Needless to say all
of them will involve the acquisition of land.
What then of the
issues that the recent debate in the local media has raised?
- These roads
will divide local communities! It is true that there will be
roads where there were never roads before. However this will not
be at the expense of the existing network of local roads. In fact
people will find that the opposite will be the case. The existing
road network will remain virtually intact and will be facilitated
by way of under and over bridges. Local communities will therefore
not be forced, as they are at present, to cross busy roads to access
their houses, farms, businesses or community facilities. The new
roads will have a very positive effect also on the existing national
roads as they will serve to remove through-traffic and leave these
free for local use and will in fact stimulate development along
the existing roads once the large volume of traffic is removed
from them. Access to the new national roads will be at specified "grade-separated" junctions
by means of "on and off-ramps" thus improving road safety
for all road users.
- Upgrade the
existing national roads instead of constructing new roads!
This is not a realistic option. To do this to the standards that are required
would necessitate the demolition of numerous dwellings along the existing
roads. It would also require the acquisition of just as much farmland along
the existing roads as the construction of the new roads would need. For example
to upgrade the existing road between Cullahill and Cashel would require the
demolition of anything between 50 and 74 dwellings and this does not include
for any dwellings that would go in the necessary bypassing of Johnstown,
Urlingford, Littleton and Horse and Jockey. Given that the N9/N10, at 105km
in length, is some 2.5 times as long as this stretch of the N8 one can only
assume that the number of properties to be effected, if this option were
pursued, would be much greater. What do the people living along the existing
national roads think of such a suggestion?
- There is a
lot of mis-information about! Yes there is, but Kilkenny County
Council did not put it out there. Our consultation meetings were
very open, were well staffed by the various experts involved, contained
detailed information on the projects and facilitated a situation
where all questions were answered. To date on the N9/N10 project
a total of 8 separate consultation meetings at 4 County Kilkenny
venues incorporating a total of 52 hours have taken place. In addition
a total of 300 aerial photographs requested by people from Kilkenny
who attended these consultation meetings have been sent out. Full
sets of the aerial photographs have also been given to the farming
organisations and Teagasc to facilitate them when holding public
meetings. These maps are also on display in County Hall to facilitate
anyone who may wish to view them. The members of the Project Team,
based in County Hall, are there to answer any queries and have
been doing so since the consultations finished. In addition the
Consultants together with the Project Team are available to meet
with representatives of any community or group. These meetings
can be scheduled on request to the Project Team.
- The process
is rushed not allowing time for submission of questionnaires or
other submissions! On the N9/N10 a total of four weeks was
allowed for submissions to be made. This is more than adequate.
As already indicated the construction of these roads is Government
Policy and as such, in the absence of a change in policy, the roads
are to be constructed. The County Council is implementing this
policy and the Consultants have been engaged to determine and recommend
the best route option. The questionnaire designed to facilitate
submissions is intended to assist the Consultants in their full
assessment of the route options as outlined. It is not mandatory
and people can choose to complete it in full, partially or not
at all. People can make their own submissions if they so choose.
The assessment of the options is on-going and as such if people
wish to make their position known is it not better that the Consultants
have this information as soon as possible? The Council has confirmed
that they will continue to accept submissions until the 30th June.
- Why are route
options being highlighted when the Council knows where we want
the road to go! There was a debate at the May meeting of Kilkenny
County Council as to why we were pursuing the policy of going out
to public consultation with route options and thereby upsetting
four or five times as many people as were needed to be upset. We
received many comments along these lines at the consultation meetings
also. Up to twelve months ago this process would not have occurred
and instead we would have undertaken the design work behind closed
doors, approached the land and property owners to be affected and
informed them that it was intended to construct a road and shown
them the proposed line. However, because this process was not an
open one we were also criticised. A clear case of "damned
if you do and damned if you don't".
The process
under which the projects are being advanced is a very open one. The
National Roads Authority introduced "National Roads Project Management
Guidelines" in March of last year and these provide a voluntary
framework through which the schemes can be advanced. These guidelines
provide for public consultations at various stages. There is no
predetermined preferred route from the start. I acknowledge that
where there is a vacuum and information is delayed in being made public
then the rumour machine takes over and fills the vacuum. People are
making guesses as to where the road might go and relaying these as
fact to their neighbours and friends.
The fact is that there are no preferred options and when there
are it will be the property and landowners likely to be affected
who will be informed in the first instance. This is an absolute
guarantee.
- Compensation
levels are not adequate! The Compulsory Purchase system is
a national one and Kilkenny County Council is required to operate
within the parameters laid down. If the system is to be altered
for the benefit of land owners then it has to be altered nationally.
In this regard the IFA are to be complimented for the constructive
way that they are pursuing such an approach, through the proper
channels, at national level.. The Council will gladly operate any
altered procedures which result from these discussions.
Mr. McCormack concluded by stating that every business, no matter how small,
should have a plan as to how it intends to develop into the future. Farmers
and shop-keepers alike have one as do large companies and local authorities
such as Kilkenny County Council. The National Development Plan 2000-2006
should be perceived in such a light. It provides the framework for the
future development of the country. The National Roads which it provides
for are central to the success of the plan. Can anyone realistically say
that in a country rapidly coming to a halt because of traffic congestion
such improvements are not needed? We should not fail in County Kilkenny
to grasp the opportunity which this massive investment in infrastructure
is offering. Where and what is the alternative?
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