LOCALS TAKE HARD STANCE ON BARROW LINE SURFACE
Regular flooding of the river was another reason not to surface the Barrow walkway, as it would be time consuming and expensive to maintain. Waterways Ireland’s answer was that for most of the river’s length, flooding would only leave deposits on the track, but not erode it.
‘Waterways have discovered a new type of flood’, O’Leary said, ‘which lifts things from the water to the land but which moves nothing from the land to the water! We are not talking about a railway line like they have in Waterford. This walkway is flooded at the moment. Grass recovers after a flood. The sort of surfacing being suggested by Waterways Ireland would create potholes.’
The meeting was shown videos of the proposed surface recently laid by Waterways at Borris, where potholes have emerged.
The Barrow has been designated a candidate special area of conservation by the EU and with protected species like otters and kingfishers.
The meeting was told that locals who had objected to the Blueway had been able to provide to the planning authorities evidence of otters and kingfishers along the towpath but that Waterways continued to state that the towpath wasn’t a habitat for either.
Questions were raised as to whether Waterways had conducted their surveys in the right season and, in the light of that, Waterways promise to do a pre-construction otter survey did not inspire confidence.
O’Leary pointed out that An Taisce had already raised major concerns about the effect of the development on one of Ireland’s most important ecological corridors. She said opposition to the plans has grown since they were first floated in 2014.
‘I was horrified when I heard about them first. I grew up in Borris and my Dad and grandfather hail from Graiguenamanagh where I have a house overlooking the river.’
She said the campaign has been run in a civil manner.
‘We have kept everything very polite. There has been very lively debate but I am very conscious it’s a small community (here).’
More than 100 objections are expected to be submitted to Carlow County Council ahead of the February 6 public submissions deadline. These include fresh objections from people who had objected last Spring.
The council will announce its decision on February 21.