Stakeholders meet to discuss greenway Motorist caught with drugs in her system
THE East Coast Greenway project has taken another positive step forward and key figures gathered for a meeting last week.
On Friday last, Minister Simon Harris hosted a key stakeholders meeting on the Wicklow Greenway project in the County Buildings in Wicklow town. It was attended by key state agencies and stakeholders, including Irish Rail, Irish Parks and Wildlife Service, the OPW, Failte Ireland, Wicklow Tourism, Sports Council and Wicklow County Council.
Mr Lally thanked Minister Simon Harris and Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, for their support and for gathering all the stakeholders together.
‘The East Coast Greenway group are extremely grateful for the full attendance of all the requested bodies at the meeting and the positive intentions all have to the creation of the greenway. We look forward to working with them all over the months ahead,’ said Mr Lally.
‘We are aware that the setting up of the task force is only the start of the process but with everybody working together we are more confident that a solution that addresses the needs of all parties can be achieved.’
THE East Coast Greenway Group has welcomed Irish Rail’s appointment of consultants ARUP to prepare a study of coastal erosion in Wicklow.
The news was announced earlier this month by Wicklow County Council and follows on from the appointment of consultants WS Atkins to conduct a full-scale feasibility study for a greenway route from Wicklow town to Greystones.
Commenting on the coastal erosion study being carried out by ARUP, Ciaran Lally, Chair of the East Coast Greenway Group said: ‘As we have stated from day one, it is pointless to progress a Wicklow to Greystones Greenway without a coastal defence plan, as a greenway would simply be washed away over time. In conjunction with Wicklow County Council appointing WS Atkins to look at a feasibility study for the route options from Wicklow to Greystones, we now believe that this project is being taken seriously’.
Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly has described the appointment of ARUP as ‘hugely significant’ having offered his support to the proposed greenway. In January Deputy Donnelly arranged for Minister for OPW and flood relief Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran to visit Arklow and Wicklow town in January to discuss potential coastal protection works.
‘It was agreed that the first step would need to be an extensive study of coastal erosion needs. This will then be used to identify the best solutions and apply for what could be very significant State funding,’ said Deputy Donnelly.
‘At the same time, a fantastic group from the Wicklow Town Team has been pushing for an ambitious greenway project to run from Greystones to Wicklow town, and possibly beyond. Again, this coast projection study is a crucial part of this process. Great credit too must go to Wicklow County Council – they have engaged strongly with central government on this, and have of course recently appointed consultants to look in detail at a Greystones to Wicklow town greenway. The county will be well served by the needed coastal protections and more and more high-quality greenways’.
A detailed survey of the coastline from Booterstown to Arklow will also take place and will include the development of a computerised model of the coastline to examine erosion and climate change effects within the study area in accordance with the OPW requirements. A computerised model will be developed for areas of concern in relation to erosion and climate change effects. Engineering solutions will be proposed to minimise or mitigate erosion effects along the study area. A study report will be drawn up outlining the finding so they can be used to develop a strategy for the future management of the coastline.
A petition in support of the Wicklow Greenway is still active and has been receiving plenty of support.
‘We now have over 10,700 signatures and we would ask you again to continue to ask all of your friends to sign and share the petition as we have no doubt that the larger the number of signatures we have the greater the chance of a successful outcome,’ stressed Mr Lally. CANNABIS and cocaine showed up in the system of a motorist from the north Wicklow area arrested in the County Wexford town of Enniscorthy after her vehicle was seen being driven erratically.
Ashleigh Gerges Saad (32), with an address at 30 Swanbrook, Southern Cross Road, Bray, accepted that she was driving on the Island Road under the influence of intoxicant.
Illicit drugs worth €30 came to light in the vehicle after she was arrested on the morning of July 25 last year.
Ms Saad came to the District Court sitting in Gorey last Thursday with her parents and was represented before Judge Gerard Haughton by solicitor David Tarrant. He said that what occurred was a tragic sit- uation and a ‘total wake-up call’, as he put it, for the defendant.
Mr Tarrant said that his client fell under the influence at this time of a partner who was involved with drugs. She was now back living with her parents and the relationship had broken up, he said.
‘She fell into the wrong company and everything went haywire for a month or two,’ said the solicitor.
The judge accepted that the circumstances were exceptional as he handed down a fine of €500 for the drug-drive offence and he also put her off the road for four years.
Ms Saad was given an opportunity to avoid a drugs conviction, once €500 is paid to the Cornmarket Project by November 1.