‘Backofthewall’ tobecul-de-sac
LOUTH County Council have been given the green light by An Bord Pleanala to proceed with the upgrade of Mount Avenue, which is expected to result in the route known locally as ‘ the back of the wall’ being made into a cul-de-sac.
The decision, which approves the acquisition, or CPO, of some local lands to enable the upgrade, had been made following a hearing in March.
Residents of Lisa na Dara were among those who contributed to the hearing, outlining how the overall plans for Mount Avenue would impact on their estate.
Speaking to the Argus, Brian Fox, chair of the residents association said: ‘ The residents of Lis na Dara are understandably disappointed at the decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant Louth County Council the Compulsory Purchase for the Mount Avenue Link road which will result in the estate effectively being split into two.’
He added: Our primary concern has always been the safety of the residents and in particular the children of the estate. The main road in Lis na Dara was never supposed to be a primary link road between the Carrick and Castleblaney roads but due to this decision the road through Lis na Dara will soon carry a significant volume of traffic, something Lis na Dara residents have been fearful of for many years.’
He outlined the background to the project, saying that ‘Back in 2006 Louth County Council had a solution for all of the Mount Avenue area; the Western Distributor Road which would be a primary link road between the Carrick and Castleblaney roads, built parallel to the M1 and west of Lis na Dara, but unfortunately this was never built.’
Without this road, residents argue, Lis Na Dara could become a short cut for many motorists, leading to an increase in traffic in a built up residential area.
‘Lis na Dara is designed as an open, child friendly estate,’ said Brian. ‘We have a thriving, safe community where up to now people took priority over vehicles. Our children had the freedom to run out their front doors and cross quiet, safe internal roads to enjoy the common areas.’
‘ The deepest fear for residents is the chance of a serious accident occurring will increase dramatically if traffic is diverted through the estate.’
The report from An Bord Pleanala highlighted how the acquisition of lands and ‘extinguishment of a public right of way are proposed in order to facilitate the construction and improvement of the existing route between the Castletown Road and the Carrickmacross Road, over a distance of approximately 2km.’
The report outlined how ‘ the design and service capacity of Mount Avenue is currently deficient’ in relation to the volume of traffic using it.
‘ The upgrading of this road has been approved for funding on the basis that it will open up zoned residential lands supporting the initial development of 200 homes with a potential for up to 1200 homes on the wider lands.’
It was highlighted how without an upgrade, ‘ the existing road network would not have capacity to accommodate additional traffic arising from the development of these lands and such would compromise the safety and amenities of the existing residential communities which it serves.’
As part of the scheme, Mount Avenue is to be closed to vehicular traffic at the junction with the proposed new link road, north of the ESB substation site. Pedestrian and vehicular through traffic will be facilitated, however.
But this will create a residential cul-desac, just north of the junction with Ard Easmuinn.
The Inspector concluded: ‘I am satisfied that the process and procedures undertaken by Louth County Council are reasonable and that the Local Authority has demonstrated the need for the acquisition of lands and closure of the public right of way, and that the lands being acquired are both necessary and suitable.’
Despite the findings, Louth County councillor Maria Doyle, who is a resident of Lis Na Dara, told the Argus: ‘ The Inspector was clear at the Oral Hearing that he could only adjudicate on the CPOs, and not on the merits or otherwise of the scheme overall. Therefore, the remit of the hearing was very narrow.’
‘ The Lis na Dara residents association put forward some very strong arguments against the scheme but the Inspector was not in a position to respond to these. Unfortunately, Dundalk Town Council granted the permission for this scheme back in 2007 and even though it is 13 years old, it cannot now be challenged. I think this system is very unfair. When a private individual has a planning, permission granted by the local authority, they must carry out the work within five years.’
She added: ‘I believe that the arguments against this scheme with regard to the negative impact it will have on the quality of life of Lis na Dara residents, myself included, are still valid and will need to be addressed by Louth County Council. The safety of our residents, particularly our children, is of paramount importance. The road through the estate was never designed to be a primary route, but a local access route only. If Louth County Council continue to construct the road before the construction the new Western Bypass, the road through our estate will become a main road for all traffic.’