State should give greenway the red light
Transport Minister Pascal Donohue has been asked to ‘call a halt’ to plans for a new Galway to Oughterard greenway, until affected landowners are properly consulted.
Senator Fidelma Healy Eames, an independent general election candidate, has also urged the county’s top public servant to resist lodging a planning application for the project before the route is agreed with those impacted.
Senator Healy Eames has written to Galway County Council Chief Executive, Kevin Kelly, and Minister Donohue, not to proceed to the planning stages until locals’ fears are addressed.
The Oranmore-based politician warned there would be serious consequences if officials ignore the views of landowners, property owners and communities impacted by the greenway.
“The proposed route is causing too much grief and concern and if it proceeds will lead to divisiveness and trouble. No Council or Minister should want this to happen,” she said.
Senator Healy Eames said the “unanimous view” of a meeting of property owners in the Oranmore Lodge Hotel last week was that the project should not go to planning. About 30 were in attendance.
Senator Healy Eames said the ‘good news’ is that the 'Galway Cycleway group' has been formed comprising property owners, farmers and cycling interests from the east and west of the county including Galway city, has formed. The group is in favour of a cycleway would be “properly planned, she said.
The new group’s mission is, “to achieve a properly designed cycle network for Galway which has the support of communities adjacent to any route and is achieved without Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and with the permission of affected property owners.”
Senator Healy Eames welcomed the development, and urged the ‘powers that be’ to engage with the group. She said the model of “imposing” a greenway on locals was “failed”.