Roundabout safety fears in Strandhill

THE Council has agreed to lobby the Government to bring back the Significant Improvement Scheme, specifically to make Strandhill Roundabout safer for people to cross.

Councillor Sinead Maguire tabled the motion, saying there was a “vital need to provide a safe system of crossing the road at the roundabout.”

She raised the issue while the 2018 road works for the two Municipal Districts were approved.

Cllr Maguire said it was unsafe to use the current markings and hoped a pedestrian crossing would be considered there.

She was supported by Councillor Tom MacSharry who said he had recently walked the loop in Strandhill twice and pedestrians were “taking their own lives in their hands” crossing at that pivotal point.

Senior Council Engineer Mr Tom Brennan said that a Community Involvement Scheme (CIS) would mean the local community would have to make a financial contribution to the road improvements. He said CIS schemes were for public roads and 15-30% of the cost was provided by the community and/or individuals, with the balance paid by the Government.

He said there was ¤10m available nationally and if people came forward in the next week the council could apply to the Department by the 19 th March deadline.

Councillor Joe Queenan asked if councillors could use part of their councillor’s allocation for such projects.

However Mr Brennan said they couldn’t as the expectation was on the community to fund it, not the councillors.

Mr Brennan told Councillor Maguire that as for the Strandhill roundabout, there were other schemes for that kind of work such as the Significant Improvement Scheme which was 100% funded by the Government.