'Hostility' warning if west Mayo greenway proceeds through CPO
USERS of the proposed Belclare-Murrisk greenway in west Mayo will face hostility if it proceeds by way of compulsory purchase order (CPO).
The warning came from Councillor Johnny O'Malley who won't accept a finding that the route cannot run along the road out towards Louisburgh.
Ultimately, local councillors will have no say in planning permission for the greenway as it will be going to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
With the location in the Clew Bay Special Area of Conservation, the design team are legally bound to prepare an appropriate assessment, which is a suite of environmental surveys, and have no choice but to make application to the board, councillors at a Westport-Belmullet Municipal District meeting were told.
Where greenways were once progressed by the council by way of permissive access, they now fall under the remit of TII and the lands must be owned by the State. They can be acquired by CPO.
Permissive access can also present issues, with Councillor Peter Flynn highlighting how under this a land owner has the right to close a greenway.
He had received calls from a person on the Great Western Greenway who said they were closing a section of it due to incidents. (In the hours after the meeting he confirmed that this had happened.)
Councillor O'Malley said it will be interesting to see what the reports bring up. If a land owner wanted to put a road through that area in Murrisk they would not be allowed. So there was no question in his view but that a greenway would be contrary to EU and environmental law.
Members were told the route along the road is not on the tabe, being unsustainable and impacting the SAC and property.
Commenting on the overall debate, Councillor Peter Flynn said they should be looking to do what is best for the common good. And he also commented on the threats and abuse he has received over this matter. This includes having an individual putting their head in his face while out walking with his wife, threatening him, with a member of the public stepping in to stop him.
There were also anonymous letters into the newspaper naming council employees and councillors, but not having the courage to put their names at the bottom of them. It was cowardice, he commented.
Intimidation has happened in relation to neighbours and that wasn't right, he continued. There are people who want to cooperate with the project but are afraid and we need to move away from that.
Councillor Flynn also noted how without cooperation the appropriate assessment might not even get to the planning board.
People need to take a step back, he said.
Cathaoirleach Councillor Brendan Mulroy condemned any public representative being hassled. He would not stand over anyone being intimidated.
Councillor O'Malley said he can't accept that the greenway cannot go along the road, urging that people have to understand the attachment to the land.
If land is bought under CPO there will be hostility towards anyone using it and it will go into the next generation, he warned.
As a farmer, Councillor Chris Maxwell said he will not stand by and see a family farm wrecked in two by a greenway.
Paul Hyland of the roads design office said they would prefer to deliver the project by agreement with the land owners.
It was always acknowledged that it is a challenging project but it can only be progressed with the cooperation and understanding of land owners.
Answering questions about cost, the project will be around €6.5 million. To go along the road with an upgrade of the road would be significantly more expensive.
Mr. Hyland said they understood the concerns of the land owners.
There was a view, he said, that there would be a zero impact way of providing it if it went along the road, however there wasn't. A minimum of eight houses would have to be acquired and to continue on to Louisburgh, there would be more if they were to comply with the standards, he said.
It is a condition that to deliver such projects the State has to own the land.
* Funded under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme