Basic safety measures needed for business park
BUSINESS owners at Boyne Business Park are calling for urgent action by Louth County Council on what they call is ‘a serious accident waiting to happen’.
The park, which has been in operation since 2003, employs hundreds of people across around 60 businesses, yet they are still without secure pedestrian access to the park, two years after a pledge from the council to look at funding the project.
“The park is a real success story now, with local SMEs having taken their enterprise from incubation to operation in a matter of years, but now we feel like the forgotten and ignored industrial area,’ says manager Geoff Fitzpatrick.
“I know it’s not as sexy as the IDA stuff, but it has really picked up over the past few years, and it’s an indication of what’s going on in the area, and with rates being paid by so many businesses, it’s only fair we get looked after in return.”
The thriving park, which is on the same road as Greenhills school, is home to local enterprises like Fitz Scientific, Jack Cody’s Brewery and M and L Manufacturing, as well as Integral Fitness and Leisure Centre.
Many employees walk to work as well as customers and visitors, and according to Geoff, are taking their life in their own hands walking on the edge of a very busy road.
“In the winter it is really dark here, and although there haven’t been any serious injuries, I know people who have had to jump into the ditch to dodge traffic,” he explains.
“We were promised at the very least some sort of signage or lights to alert motorists there are pedestrians, but we heard nothing back.”
Geoff and the other business owners point out they are not looking for anything out of the ordinary.
“These are fairly basic health and safety issues in a busy area, which gets used by hundreds of workers and customers on a daily basis,” he adds.“We would like this addressed before winter.”
Cllr Frank Godfrey met a deputation from the park and says he’ll be raising the matter further with the council in the coming weeks.