One-way plan for Collooney

THE lack of engineering staff at Sligo County Council is hampering plans to introduce a trial one way system in Collooney Main Street.

Councillor Thomas Healy called on the Council to put a trial run in place to see if it would work before investing in a permanent one way system.

“I want it put on the agenda. At the moment it’s stalemate. Until we try this out we won’t know,” he told the meeting.

Acting Senior Executive Engineer Declan Noone told members that trialling a one way system would require a full road design, both for the temporary and the permanent one way systems, costings for both, as well as the staff to implement them, and consultation with business owners along Collooney’s Main Street in advance of the trial run.

“There’s no resources in the Roads Department for that,” he said.“We’d want to make sure all businesses in the town would be happy with what you propose. It’s just getting resources,” added Senior Engineer Tom Brennan.

Council Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes said he couldn’t state strongly enough the question of resources. “We are significantly strapped for both human and financial resources,” he told the meeting. “We need to be realistic as to when it can be achieved. We need to manage expectations of our constituents,” he said.

Cllr Healy replied that he wouldn’t have put the motion on the agenda without the support of businesses in Collooney.

“We need to do a certain amount of consultations too. There are implications for parking as well,” said Hayes.

Cllr Thomas Healy said Collooney was being “choked” by the current traffic system, “or lack of it.”

“We can’t keep building houses if there’s no traffic management system in place. We’ve cars parking on the side of the street, so it’s effectively one lane. Mirrors are coming off cars. I accept the resources issue but I’d ask that it be looked at. Have posts been advertised?” he enquired.

Tom Brennan said they had lost three engineers in as many weeks, while trying to build O’Connell Street. “You can’t just get engineers at the moment. There aren’t enough people to fill the posts. You fill a panel of nine and some people might not just come,” he told members.

“Others have gone to the private sector. It’s an indication of what’s happened in the market. It’s very difficult to get engineers to take up short term contracts,” he added.