SLIGO-DRUMCLIFFE COUNCIL ROUND-UP

Casual trading bays for Mullaghmore

A move to have at least one casual trading bay at Mullaghmore cannot happen immediately as the area is not currently included as a designated area for such trading.

Cllr Dónal Gilroy is seeking to have at least if not two casual trading bays located at Mullaghmore. He was told that the area doesn’t comply with the regulations, so for the moment unless the bye laws were revised, which can take some time, it could not be completed for 2023.

Cllr Gilroy said he would ask that the process to revise the bye laws would start to allow Mullaghmore to comply.

Traffic calming improvements outlined

Options to improve traffic calming and traffic flow in Mullaghmore have been outlined to Cllr Marie Casserly by Sligo County Council.

Cllr Casserly had asked for traffic calming measures to be introduced for vehicles travelling into Mullaghmore from the gatehouse at Classiebawn Castle (pictured right). She has been told the 50km speed limit is in place just south of the gatehouse on the R279 and there are traffic calming gateway signs on the approach to the village itself. A one-way system is implemented in Mullaghmore during the peak season commencing at the Gatehouse to alleviate traffic congestion. Additional signage in terms of 50km speed limit repeater signs, lining and additional signs to warn drivers and pedestrians can be considered.

In a reply to her request the council said that because any additional works would have to be funded via “councillors’ Proposals”, an allocation which each councillor controls and can allocate to various projects. The area engineer is to prepare a cost estimate for these works, she was told.

No plans from to extend footpath on “lethal” road

Described as “lethal” by one councillor and “dangerous” by another, there are “no plans” from Sligo County Council to extend the public footpath on a popular walking route north of Sligo town.

Independent Cllr Marie Casserly proposed that due to the lack of the continuation of a footpath from the old Henderson’s garage heading north as far as the old Bundoran Road (pictured below left), can the roads department seek funding under active travel for a similar scheme to make this section of road safer for pedestrians.

She was told there were no plans to extend the footpath any further.

Cllr Casserly said there has been an increased number of pedestrians on that walk.

She passes the section of road regularly and has seen people walking on the grass on what is a dangerous section of road. “Every time I see pedestrians walking there I just think they should not be walking there,” she said.

Cllr Donál Gilroy seconding the motion said the area referred to was a “lethal piece of road”.

Safety of motorists at N15 junctions causing concern

Road users are having difficulty entering and exiting a road in north Sligo which leads out onto the very busy N15 prompting a local councillor to ask for a safety traffic survey to be carried out.

Cllr Marie Casserly outlined the difficulties such was the speed of traffic on the N15, one of the busiest roads in the country, but she was told that a survey had already been carried out in 2022 by the TII who recommended at the time of the survey last year that only a “minor intervention”, cutting back vegetation to ensure the stop line was more visible.

Sligo County Council said this verge trimming would be carried out in May/June of this year.

Cllr Casserly said she had been contacted by countless numbers of residents who find it very difficult to get onto the road at the L7202 junction with the N15. She said she was unhappy with the council report in response to her motion. An undertaking to have another look at the junction to see what the issues are was given to Cllr Casserly. Cllr Dónal Gilroy, supporting the motion, said safety concerns on the N15 were being raised all the time at council meetings because it was a real issue which needs to be addressed.

He said there were countless junctions along the road giving rise to concern for so many people and the concerns were valid.