Doubts are cast over future of contentious greenway
A Westport councillor has said he believes the controversial greenway from Belclare to Westport "won't happen at all".
Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn made his comments at a meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District after colleagues had reiterated their opposition to the proposed route for the greenway.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Brendan Mulroy had told the meeting that the R335 road from Westport to Louisburgh was in a "diabolical state" and argued that the situation would be very different had a greenway been built beside the road. The greenway from Belclare to Murrisk has been mired in controversy with local landowners strongly resisting Mayo Co Council's preferred route, which is some distance from the roadway.
"Who made the decision to pull the greenway from the road and put it up to a CPO process through people’s lands?" asked Cllr Mulroy. "If it had continued on the road out to Louisburgh, I am sure the roadway would be done now, but instead it is a disgrace."
Achill-based Cllr Paul McNamara pointed out that consultation rather than confrontation was the right approach, saying he had been involved in progressing the Achill to Mulranny greenway through his parish.
“If you haven’t the full cooperation of all the landowners and stakeholders, the greenways don’t work.”
He said it was important to remember that the IFA endorsed the new structure from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on building greenways, and that before it was all about permissive access, but not anymore.
Cllr Chris Maxwell responded: "The IFA are fully behind the people regarding the dispute on the Murrisk greenway and have been at every meeting and fully support people’s stance."
Cllr McNamara replied: “Well I hope the IFA told those farmers that they supported CPO because that is what they did.”
Cllr Brendan Mulroy confirmed that the IFA did sign up to the TII process but said that the local IFA was in full support with farmers.
"The IFA nationally needs to go back and renegotiate because they are speaking out of both sides of their mouth. Either they are supporting farmers or they are not.”
Cllr John O’Malley said there was "war" over the proposed greenway.
“People are fed up with farmers being divided and people going on their land.”
The newly-appointed Head of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, Seamus O’Mongain, clarified that no decision has been made regarding the Belclare-Murrisk greenway, that the option selection stage is still ongoing and consultations are continuing with locals. He added that Mayo Co Council's National Roads Office wished to hold a workshop with members next month to discuss the project, adding that "an awful lot of misinformation went out [after a public meeting in Murrisk] which wasn’t helpful".
Regarding the original plan in 2019 to develop the Murrisk greenway along the R335, he said TII was subsequently designated as lead body for greenways nationally and new standards have determined what shape the greenway in question has to take.
Cllr John O’Malley said the proposed changes were "causing a lot of pain and grief to people who can’t sleep at night", adding: “It is unbelievable you are going to put it through people’s lands when nobody wants that.”
The issue arose during a discussion about the damage caused to the Westport to Murrisk Road as a result of ongoing pipeline work for the long-awaited Murrisk Water Scheme. Area engineer Heather Gibbons said there was no funding in place regarding the pipeline work and the council would have to assign it over the next three-year roads programme, adding it will have to be done on a ‘piecemeal’ basis in accordance with what the budget allows.
Cllr Mulroy wanted to know if separate funding could be sourced rather than having other roads suffer if funding was taken from them.
“Croagh Patrick is out there. It is strategically important and we should be getting as much from central funding as possible for it.”
Cllr Chris Maxwell said the road to Louisburgh had once been christened as "God’s pocket" but a "divine intervention of money" was needed to sort out the "highway back to heaven".
“We are so thankful to Mayo County Council and Uisce Éireann for getting the public water back to there, it is a lifeline for Lecanvey and Louisburgh and we are delighted it is progressing at great pace, but we do not want to see any roads running out of funding in Mayo on account of that road. So I will be doing my best and appealing we get onto central government and our own TDs especially to say that the road needs a serious amount of money to bring it up to standard."
Regarding the Belclare-Murrisk Greenway, Cllr Maxwell said: “The council now says it is going with TII trying to force it up the side of a hill and as we know, that is not going to happen. It was good enough in 2019 going all the way back the road to Louisburgh and there is still room for a 6ft wide one as well as a barrier across the road. Bring it all the way to Roonagh and it will also keep the islands and communities there going. If you want to add loops on down the line as more money becomes available, so be it. All we are asking for is common sense.”
Cllr Peter Flynn said the previous plans have no relevance anymore.
"We are now working to TII standards and whatever comes out of that route option, we will have to deal with it. My understanding is it has to be approved by councillors here and hearing these negative comments today, that it won’t be supported, I feel this greenway won’t happen at all and that will be very regrettable; all the way from Westport to Roonagh, that will be the worst decision we will make as councillors in my 20 years as a public representative. This is a very black day for Mayo, the way the commentary has unfolded today and I very much regret it.”
