A PETITION from residents of a West Clare community calling for a footpath and traffic calming measures has renewed concerns over speeding on the approach to Kilrush.
The issue was raised by Cllr Dinny Gould (IND) at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, where he called for a review of speeding and traffic calming measures at Leadmore, as well as the exploration of a footpath with public lighting linking the area to Kilrush. He also highlighted a petition signed by local residents seeking action.
He said the proposal had previously been brought forward by Independent Cllr Ian Lynch, but little progress had been made.
He described speeding in the area as “dangerous”, particularly during the summer months as traffic increases between Kilrush and Kilkee, and said residents could not understand why the long-sought project had yet to be delivered.
“The speed of cars is frightful,” he told the meeting.
Seconding the motion, Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) said efforts had been made before the Covid-19 pandemic to advance the project, but said requirements set by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) had proved a major obstacle.
“The speeds cars are going is unbelievable,” he said.
Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) said residents needed to understand the challenges involved.
“We need to explain the challenges to people and that we are not ignoring them,” he said, adding that some of the issues were outside the council’s control.
In a written response, Senior Executive Engineer Alan Kennelly said the proposed footpath would be located almost entirely along a section of the N67 subject to a 100 km/h speed limit, meaning approval from Transport Infrastructure Ireland would be required before the project could proceed.
He said the proposal was likely to be inconsistent with national planning policy for National Secondary Roads and, as a result, it was considered unlikely that TII approval would be forthcoming.
Mr Kennelly also cited engineering challenges including the narrow road width, peat embankments and nearby property boundaries, which would make construction difficult and expensive.
He said construction costs alone were likely to exceed six figures, with additional expenditure required for land acquisition, accommodation works and major earthworks.
While Clare County Council has no current plans to advance the project, Mr Kennelly said the Municipal District would continue to engage with the elected member and explore future funding opportunities. He added that an appropriate funding source would need to be identified before a project of this scale could proceed.
Responding at the meeting, Mr Kennelly said he had met local residents and explained the issues involved, describing the proposal as one that had been under discussion “for a while”.
“If we got the blessing from TII we could pursue funding, but at the minute it would be in breach of national road guidelines policy,” he said.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Michael Shannon (FF), highlighted: “It is important to note that the houses were there before TII was formed.”
–Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
