*Contracts for the design of the 42km Limerick to Scariff Greenway were signed in June 2021.
AN EAST CLARE greenway is “well behind schedule” with elected members worried about how quiet the project has gone.
Waterways Ireland, together with Limerick City and County Council and Clare County Council are working to develop the Limerick to Scarrif greenway. The proposed greenway has been identified as a signature project in the Shannon Tourism Masterplan and would provide a gateway to and from the heart of Limerick City to Lough Derg.
Subject to the selection of the preferred route, the proposed greenway would link Limerick City to Scariff with connections to nearby villages and towns such as Clonlara, O’Briensbridge, Killaloe, Ogonelloe and Tuamgraney. The contract for the design of the greenway was signed in June 2021.
It is anticipated to cover a distance of 43km, the project is funded under the TII Greenways funding scheme. A steering group for the project exists and comprises of Waterways Ireland, Limerick City and County Council, Clare County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
An update on the progress of the greenway was sought by Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) at the Killaloe Municipal District’s March meeting. He said, “Given the potential economic, tourism, and environmental benefits of the project, I am for clarity on the following issues, the current status of feasibility studies, planning, and public consultation, any funding secured or pending applications for the project, the anticipated timeline for the next phases of development and how engagement with local landowners and communities along the proposed route is progressing”.
In a response from a senior engineer with Waterways Ireland provided to the meeting, councillors were informed, “the Preferred Route corridor reports for the Greenway have been completed and reviewed by the project steering group. As part of the TII Project Guidelines a TII Peer Review of the final documentation is required. The Peer review for this project has been completed and additional information identified as part of the review is currently being addressed and discussed with the TII to meet all necessary requirements, this documentation includes additional ecological and corridor assessments.
“Upon agreement of the final documentation with the TII Peer review team, Waterways Ireland will be holding a series of public consultation evenings to display the Preferred Route corridor. These public consultations will be advertised locally when finalised. Once the public consultation of the Preferred Route Corridor is complete, the project will progress to the detailed design and environmental evaluation phase. This phase will include more detailed consultation with impacted landowners,” the response added.
Senior planner and Killaloe MD coordinator, Brian McCarthy suggested inviting a representative of Waterways Ireland to address the May meeting of the Killaloe MD.
Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe MD, Cllr Hayes noted it had been a full twelve months since Waterways Ireland addressed them. “It is gone very quiet,” he remarked. “They have some idea about a preferred route, a lot of people are asking what will happen, €300,000 is going into it so we’re wondering what is happening”. He continued, “It is a significant proposal, it is something we want to see brought forward and extended forward” while agreeing with the suggestion to invite Waterways Ireland to the next meeting.
Works are behind schedule, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) claimed, “I believe following their attendance here and public consultation in Clonlara, a preferred route was supposed to be out in May or June of 2024, we’re well behind the schedule, there is a lot of uncertainty for landowners, clarity needs to be given to people and ourselves as to what the plan is”. He backed the call to have representatives before their next sitting. “It will be a hugely important piece of infrastructure, it will support some people but we need to know what is happening, we need to be informed”.
Reports on the preferred route corridor exist somewhere but elected representatives in East Clare have yet to see them, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) flagged. He asked for a definition of peer review, “it is a new one” he observed ,”we’ll have to google the meaning of peer review”. He said, “this was a hot topic before last local election, it has gone to ground since”.
