CONCERNS were raised at County Hall this week from a councillor who claimed he hadn’t been given enough time to give due consideration to the TUS Moylish to City Active Travel Scheme.
Fine Gael councillor Dan McSweeney said he only received the Chief Executive’s Report last Wednesday and had just two working days to consider the 36-page document. He asked the council executive to put it on the record that he had not been given enough time to consider the proposal.
The planning report gives permission for segregated cycle lanes and footpath upgrades along Cratloe Road, Sexton Street North and High Road with a number of dedicated pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities as part of the scheme. It also includes upgrade of the traffic signals and junction layout at Hassett’s Cross, Cross Road and Belfield Court Junctions to provide a protected junction arrangement for cyclists and bus priority measures of public transport.
The scheme will see an inbound bus lane extending along Cratloe Road from Moylish Roundabout to Hassett’s Cross. The development works will also make way for traffic calming measures on Belfield Court and Belfield Gardens such as raised table junctions and build out with cycle by-pass.
Cllr McSweeney, a City West representative, took the view that all members of the Metropolitan District should have been briefed on plans and not just those in City North.
“I did not give the proposal due consideration as I only got them two working days before this meeting. I cannot consider the 36-page report in that time. I can’t do it. I want that noted. I have not given due consideration,” Cllr McSweeney declared.
Cllr Sarah Kiely (FG) echoed her party colleague’s sentiments and raised concerns that one of the submissions received on the scheme was from Navan.
“How is that fair?” she asked. “We need to look at how we are dealing with submissions.”
Green Party councillor Sasa Novak formally proposed the Part 8 proposals for the scheme, saying it was “very good” and believed they had learned from the improvements.
Labour Party councillor Conor Sheehan seconded the proposal said it was an improvement on what was originally proposed.
“We had a bit of argy-bargy, but I don’t want to say drive on, but we can now cycle on with the scheme,” he said.
Cllr Sheehan also took the view that the scheme had been used as an “election hobby horse” by some politicians for their own advantage.
