‘It will be a while’ before Local Area Plan is devised for Lismore

Lismore could be some time waiting for a Local Area Plan, according to Waterford City and County Council officials.

News of this follows as local councillor John Pratt queried the council as to whether there was any intention to devise a plan for the heritage town, as he claimed Lismore would ‘always’ have had a Local Area Plan during its town council days.

Responding, the council’s planning department stated that the Dungarvan and Tramore Local Area Plans are currently at the pre-draft stage.

“It will be a while yet before any consideration will be given to a plan for Lismore,” the planning department said.

BRIDGE LIGHTING

Funding for both St Carthage’s Cathedral and the courthouse in Lismore were also welcomed at a recent meeting of the Dungarvan Lismore District, while public lighting on the bridge was queried.

Cllr Conor McGuinness stated that there has been ‘a lot of disquiet’ surrounding the lighting on the bridge regarding the quality, workmanship and finish.

Having been raised previously by other councillors in an effort to see the job completed, Cllr McGuinness stated that the job that was done ‘leaves a lot to be desired’.

“The job now that has been done by all accounts leaves a lot to be desired and a number of people have approached me to complain about the finish,” he said.

Senior engineer Gabriel Hynes of Waterford City and County Council’s roads department stated that there was an issue with lights on the bridge being hit by HGVs and lorries and that the works carried out saw the lights offset structurally in order to ensure the stability of the columns.

Mr Hynes noted that the parapet was also reinforced with metal and that such works were carried out ‘in the interests of safety’.

“In the medium term we will be reviewing those lights in their entirety and it may be a possibility, subject to TII funding, that we would remove those lights and upgrade the lights for a better basis for Lismore Bridge,” Mr Hynes said.