Greenway bridge row looms

A row has erupted in Westport over plans by Mayo County Council to build a bridge from the local leisure centre, off James Street, into St. Mary’s Crescent to faciliate an extension to the greenway project.

Residents of the estate have outlined their opposition to the proposal on the grounds that it will lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour at a location where the majority of householders are elderly.

Kevin Cusack, chairman of the St. Mary’s Residents Association, said the area is already used extensively as a haven for outdoor drinking parties and the erection of the proposed bridge will compound the problem.

He stated: “We don’t see any logic whatsoever in the proposal only to link James Street with The Pinewoods. But that offers no real benefit to cyclists or pedestrians as the distance between the two points is not very long anyway.

'A previous access bridge into the estate was removed some years ago because of the anti-social problems it was causing. It does not make sense to us to put in another one just to faciliate walkers and cyclists and ignoring the concerns of elderly residents.

“We intend to fight this proposal tooth and nail and have outlined our position clearly to Mayo County Council. We are not going to accept the bridge under any circumstances.”