Push is on to see active travel scheme in central Mayo town completed

POLITICAL pressure is being applied locally for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Minister Dara O'Brien to sanction the last section of the Pollavaddy active travel scheme into Balla.

At the moment, the Heathlawn cycle and walkway ends at Pollavaddy, with expected funding to complete the final 1.2k section into Balla not materialising earlier this year.

The latest update to local councillors from the minister confirmed that the scheme is on TII's list of planned active travel projects.

Councillor Cyrile Burke has asked for it to be kept on the agenda at local council level to push for the project and ensure it is delivered.

He highlighted the situation of people walking on the route towards Balla, but when they come to Pollavaddy there's no place for them to go.

There is a perception that Mayo County Council dropped the ball on this, Councillor Donna Sheridan told a Castlebar Municipal District meeting. But funding was applied for last year by the council to complete the scheme, however it was not granted by TII, she explained.

The minister has been asked to come to Mayo to explain that decision.

What she wanted to know now was has the council put Balla forward to TII for the next set of funding.

Director of services David Mellett said they had expected Balla to be in the programme for this year but TII did not have the money for it.

They were told the allocation had gone into the Breaffy active travel scheme.

That scheme is going to be finished, he said, and the council will be pushing for Balla again this year, with discussions with TII taking place around October.

* Funded under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme