Concerns raised over Kiln a hue housing plan
CLLR Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin has raised his concerns about plans for 219 houses on a site off the Kilnahue Lane in Gorey, saying that in just a few years, there will be over 2,000 students in the general Creagh/ Carnew Road area.
He acknowledged that more housing is desperately needed in North Wexford, but said that this application is ‘essentially almost the same’ as one that was previously turned down over traffic concerns on Kilnahue Lane.
‘ The main problem for most people is traffic and pedestrian safety,’ he said. ‘ The Kilnahue Lane is not suitable for the amount of traffic this development would bring. The application provides for 16 “car-park drop off spaces” inside one of the entrance ways from the estate on the Kilnahue lane with a “turning head” for parents dropping children to the schools. This will be locat- ed beside the on-site crèche - which again will bring more traffic from outside the area in my opinion.’
‘However these children will then still have to walk either alone or accompanied by their parent from the estate to the schools, i.e., crossing the Kilnahue Lane, which will have much more traffic due to the estate, and also across the Sweep Walk Lane which is used by agricultural traffic and is basically not addressed in the reports,’ he said. ‘Emergency access to Creagh College playing fields is also located on the Sweep Walk Lane.’
‘ There are bad sight lines at the junction of the Kilnahue lane and Carnew Road for traffic turning right, i.e. in the direction of Carnew,’ he continued. ‘ This cannot be fixed as a private dwelling stands on that corner. I believe many residents of the proposed development will access the schools via the Kilnahue Lane and then drive back home via the Carnew Road, using this dangerous turn.’
He said he feels the traffic report in the application is misleading and implies that upgrade works can be carried out to the Kilnahue Lane that will solve any issues. ‘ The upgrade works that are referred to will be the widening of the lane, the removal of the existing hedgerow along the development’s boundary further up the Kilnahue Lane,’ he stated. ‘An example of a statement in the traffic report is that a parking survey was conducted, and that between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., 25 cars pulled up and departed from outside the Gaelscoil and Educate Together. The only way a figure as low as this could have been obtained would be if they specifically observed one very small area, as opposed to the length of the road along by both schools – either way it is misleading.’