Concern for N11/M11 works

CONCERN have been expressed that coalition talks may impact potential works on the N11.

Speaking at the March Wicklow County Council meeting, Cllr Joe Behan (Ind) stated that the Green Party’s central role in negotiations for the next Government could affect the proposed N11/ M11 improvement scheme.

‘I think there is a very serious threat to improvement works on the N11,’ he said, noting that a combination of works including enhanced public transport options were required.

‘I am concerned that particular funding track will be taken off it again, because of the fact that negotiations might say, ‘well, we don’t want this work to proceed’.’

Cllr Behan called for the county council to write to the Department of Transport and the Department of Environment and Local Government to ask that the N11 scheme remains a priority and funding is not withdrawn.

‘We have to do something for the tens of thousands of people stuck in this misery morning and night, who are still stuck in it three weeks after an election with very little hope of things improving in the short-term,’ Cllr Behan said.

Cllr Lourda Scott (Green) suggested ‘until the Government is formed it’s a moot point as to what we can demand from a council point of view.’

Cllr Peir Leonard (Ind) stated that any works on the N11 would not take place for some time. She said ‘one of the major problems’ for the county was a ‘lack of infrastructure’ and ‘joined up thinking’, particularly around the construction of new homes.

Wicklow County Council Chief Executive Frank Curran said the N11 was included in the National Development Plan as a scheme that would move to design phase between now and 2027. He said ‘we don’t want to delay it because we are in with a chance of it progressing... we want to stay in that category and complete the design work.’

Later in the meeting, councillors discussed a proposal submitted by former Cllr Stephen Matthews (Green) at the January meeting in relation to the N11/M11 improvement scheme.

Cllr Scott said she was mindful of concerns about delaying a major roads project and losing funding, however, the general election campaign had shown a consensus around the idea of providing people with alternative forms of transport.

She suggested Cllr Matthews’ motion was re-worded to request a preferred route is not selected until a meeting is held with relevant stakeholders.

Mr Curran stated other schemes around the country ‘would like to bypass us on the queue. So, anything that would delay it, I think we should steer clear of ’.

He added the environmental assessments would take place as part of the design and planning process.

Cllr Irene Winters (FG) suggested the proposal was referred to the transport SPC for further discussion.

Cllr Scott asked that the climate action spc also look at the issue.

Cllr Dermot O’Brien (SF) said he ‘would be worried we tell our children in the future we declared a climate emergency in 2019 and we spent ten years building roads after that’.

He said he was concerned that the project would pass a ‘point of no return’ that would be ‘crossed without being mindful’.

Cllr Winters said the motion that the council should demand that the N11/M11 improvement scheme does not proceed to the next stage until a meeting is held with relevant stakeholderes should be teased out by the transport and climate action SPCs.