Aim to regulate use of lands at Gormanston for motorcross action
NEGOTIATIONS have taken place between the North Dublin Motorcross club (MX Club Ltd), local residents and Meath County Council to regulate the use of lands at Gormanston for the sport.
The motocross club have been using the area for decades, but the matter came to a head in 2005 when Meath CC took the club to court, the matter ending with a High Court decision, accepting that the club could use the lands.
However, led by Director of Services Dara McGowan, who has been praised for his handling of the situation, all parties have been discussing the best route into the future, with an agreement hopefully to be signed in the coming months.
That would grant the club a 35-year lease on the lands.
He told a meeting of the Laytown/Bettystown council area in Duleek that he had met both residents and the club and issues such as insurance, traffic on the laneway to the site, toilets, bikes on the beach, noise, etc, were all raised and he has worked to try and alleviate the concerns of all parties.
He admitted that the residents didn’t want the club there, but the High Court ruling was pretty exact in that they were entitled to be there.
‘ The club say they can meet the concerns of the residents and that’s good,’ he stated.
While it was accepted that about 100 vehicles attend some six meetings a year, the majority go in at the same time and leave at the same time, meaning not much congestion.
In terms of waste oil from machines, mats are used to keep the grass areas clean and with the future being electric bikes, it is likely there will be less and less petrol bikes over the next decade and no noise!
It is also accepted that bikers using the beach to ride are not involved with the club and how the council deal with them is regarded as a different issue.
‘We want to regulate the issue and intend giving the club a 35-year lease, but we’ll work with the residents and club on it,’ he stated.
Cllr Tom Kelly said any agreement was ‘a long time coming’ and he welcomed consultations between all parties.
‘By getting a lease, it will be great to see the club provide more facilities for people up there.’
Mr McGowan said that the club had done a lot of work on the track area and they could now maintain it with better fencing.