TRAFFIC calming measures at Hawthorn Estate are to be reviewed again by Clare County Council, after councillors raised concerns about speeding and road safety in the area.
The update came at the September meeting of the Ennis Municipal District following a question from Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF), who sought an update on the previously agreed installation of speed ramps and signage at the estate.
In a written response, Senior Executive Engineer Tom Mellett said the estate had previously been considered for traffic calming measures but that no funding had been identified.
“However, Ennis MD will again review the estate to see if there are any measures that can be examined subject to funding,” he said.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr O’Callaghan said the measures had been agreed around two years ago and that the estate had become busier since then.
“People are going to get hurt if people don’t slow down,” he said.
He highlighted the increased traffic had created a greater danger and that someone could get hurt if measures were not introduced.
Cllr O’Callaghan said he found the council’s response “very frustrating”, particularly because funding had continued to be an obstacle.
“Two years is too long,” he said.
Cllr O’Callaghan said funding was the “main obstacle”, with councillors seeking traffic-calming measures in a number of areas but they cannot progress them without funding.
Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) said councillors had all encountered similar issues around traffic calming.
She said she hoped the introduction of new speed limits would help when residential areas move to a 30km/h limit.
Cllr Baker Bashua said councillors had previously been told that a speed survey found vehicles travelling below 50km/h in the area.
However, she said “50km in a built-up area is still too fast”.
She said children played in residential areas and that the existing situation was “not good enough”.
Cllr Baker Bashua also referred to an area where children had drawn signs asking motorists to slow down because they played there.
She said more initiatives of this type were needed, including signs aimed at children and older people.
She said some residents were “scared to step outside the front door of their house”.
Cllr O’Callaghan reiterated his concerns, saying the situation was “simply not good enough”.
He said he was not criticising the council team but argued that funding should not be the obstacle when traffic-calming measures were known to be required.
“Lives are at risk,” he said.
Cllr O’Callaghan said funding had to be made available to allow the measures to proceed.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
