People ‘going ape’ over new junction bottle neck

WHILE St Nicholas Quarter is a ‘fantastic’ job and a new part of town, rather than go to it, people will actually avoid the area, it was claimed at the meeting.

Cllr Seán Kelly said this was because of a bottle neck created by the design of the Linenhall Street/ Bridge Street junction.

‘People are going ape over the annoyance of it,’ he added.

Senior Engineer John O’Hagan said the idea of St Nicholas Quarter was to create pedestrian- and cycle-friendly streets, and a lively community.

THE tremendous work normally carried out by Tidy Towns is evident more during their absence because of Covid-19 restrictions, it was noted at the June meeting of Dundalk municipal district as members condemned the amount of dumping which had taken place during the lockdown.

While some community groups have been participating in clean-ups, their efforts were quickly undone.

Incidents which occurred throughout the area were highlighted.

Cllr Antóin Watters noted the amount of people going to North Louth despite social distancing.

He said Louth county council is ‘flat out’ lifting rubbish but believed there is a need to increase the frequency of collections.

In the short-term extra bins are required in Gyles Quay, Templetown and Carlingford.

Cllr Watters asked when public toilets would be re-opened and when the litter wardens would be back on duty.

Cllr Maeve Yore asked if there is

The junction allows low-frequency HGVs to cross the white line at peak times.

‘You have to stop at the junction, that’s why it’s quite tight. You have to take it slowly,’ Mr O’Hagan continued.

He said the roads were all narrowed to slow traffic down. The council didn’t want to remove part of the plaza.

Deliveries by 40-foot lorries should be made out of hours.

‘Do businesses know that?’ Cllr Maeve Yore asked. a recommendation for the amount of public bins required for a town of Dundalk’s size.

It was revealed by cathaoirleach Cllr Emma Coffey that the parks in St Helena and Ice House Hill have seven bins, yet a much larger area of Tom Bellew Avenue and Muirhevnamór District Park have only two.

‘It is costing the council to send workers to collect rubbish that could be binned.’

The park in Muirhevnamór is well used, though it isn’t on the Louth county council website, she continued, and there aren’t even bins at the entrances.

‘We all have a responsibility to look out for our area.’

Cllr Coffey added it is during the absence of Tidy Towns groups that the phenomenal work they do in normal times is evident.

Regarding illegal dumping, Cllr Seán Kelly asked were any investigations conducted, and fines issued since the COVID-19 crisis began.

Cllr Marianne Butler said further

However, Cllr Kelly said the problem was not just HGVs, as buses and cars can’t come up (to the junction) without crossing the line.

Members had previously been informed that an independent Stage 3 Road Safety Audit under the Design Manual for Urban Roads & Streets (DMURS) will be carried out on the entire project when construction work is fully competed.

Cllr Yore said she had been in contact with Bus Éireann who were happy to meet to discuss the issue. easing of restrictions on 8 June will open up areas to even more people.

The toilets at the Blue Flag beaches should be available for all.

Cllr Edel Corrigan asked about progress on an application for anti-dumping measures.

‘Illegal dumping is a massive issue. A section of the old Newry Road and by-pass is nothing but rubbish on the side of the road.’

Cllr Corrigan wondered could the council engage with community employment schemes and incentivise community groups to do clean-ups.

‘Local amenities are being destroyed by dumping.’

She added the Castletown River is at risk of pollution from residue of diesel laundering, and anglers have suggested engaging with the local authority to police the riverbank.

Takeaways need to be reminded of their responsibilities, remarked Cllr Erin McGreehan.

‘Carlingford is atrocious. Bins are full, and Tidy Towns are out of action at the moment.’

Cllr Liam Reilly told the meeting he collected six large bags of rubbish, mostly left by people travelling through the area.

‘ The amount of (PPE) gloves and masks is exceptional.’

The haul included vodka and wine bottles, and items from takeaways, suggesting people were driving and dumping.

As no official from the Environment Section was present, councillors were told their concerns would be passed on.

This prompted Cllr Yore to ask that someone from this section be at the next meeting.

Near the end of the meeting, Director of Services Frank Pentony advised that only 40% of staff were back.

Two-hundred employees were working remotely.

‘We are not operating at full tilt. Anyone who can work remotely at home is. Some staff are not working at all.’

Boulders at Lynch’s Lane in Árd Easmuinn were not placed there by the council, Cllr Conor Keelan has been informed.

He said that in 2012 a decision was taken to refer to an oral hearing a decision on whether or not to close off the lane.

The opinion was the right-of-way should be kept open to the public, but boulders are there presently and had been on occasion since that 2012 decision.

Cllr Keelan asked for a copy of the judgement of the time.

Executive engineer Martin McCreesh said he was not aware of the council having done anything at the lane.

Louth county council should look at getting goats to maintain smaller graveyards.

Cllr Conor Keelan had in mind Faughart when he suggested replicating what is happening in Cork.

A councillor in the Rebel County saw the potential for goat-scaping when on a trip to Swansea.

Now, four mountain goats have been ‘hired’ to maintain an old cemetery.

Cllr Keelan said it’s environmentally-friendly. He had spoken to the heritage officer who saw no problem with it, and Cllr Keelan added he would like to see the council explore this.

Overgrown hedges are obstructing footpaths, and Cllr Maria Doyle has urged the local authority to make private home-owners and businesses aware of their responsibilities.

When people are trying to maintain social distancing, hedges, bushes and trees should be maintained.

Cllr Seán Kelly added that one landowner had done nothing to correct what is now a public safety concern where pedestrians have to walk onto the main Castleblayney Road to get around an overgrown hedge.

Hedges are the landowner’s responsibility an official stated. They are not allowed to be cut during nesting season (which ends on 31 August).

Fires which have been occurring at the community gardens in Muirhevnamór are a drain on fire services which have also been dealing with major incidents on the Cooley Peninsula, Cllr Kevin Meenan stated.

He said the perpetrators are gaining access through a fence on the community centre side.

Subsequent to the meeting, Cllr Meenan reported another blaze at the gardens which necessitated a fire engine to come from Drogheda, so busy were locally-based firefighters elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Cllr Marianne Butler has described as unacceptable ring buoys near St Helena being set alight.

A daily check is needed, she remarked.

‘We need to get it out there how unacceptable the destruction of life-saving equipment is.’