A Letterkenny councillor has said that the public has been hoodwinked by alterations made to active travel plans at Ballyraine in Letterkenny after a public consultation took place.
Councillor Ciaran Brogan has expressed serious concerns over plans to reduce a section of the N56 outside the Mount Errigal Hotel to two lanes. The reconfiguration, intended to introduce two cycle lanes, was not included in a public consultation on the project in 2020.
Last July the new design emerged, sparking shock among the public and businesspeople in the area.
Councillor Brogan has stressed that the plans are not what councillors of Letterkenny-Milford passed in a Part 8 process back in 2020.
He said: “That Part 8 at the time was for new traffic signals at the Ballyraine Roundabout, the Ballyraine Halls, and at the Thomas Keys/Creamery Junction.
“That was to help alleviate a lot of the traffic congestion.
“It was also to link up the new lights with the Polestar lights, as a new traffic management model that would alleviate a lot of the traffic congestion from the Ramelton and and the Kiltoy areas coming on to town, but never, in part of that process that went to the public consultation was the two cycle lanes or the reconfiguration of the lane coming out in front of the Mount Errigal Hotel.”
Cllr Brogan told the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District today that he feared the controversy would escalate into another forum.
“The public can’t believe that we as a council are going ahead with what we are doing.
“As a council, we are better than this, we should always afford the public the opportunity to have their say.”
When Councillor Brogan raised his concerns over the variations in November last year, the Senior Planner was asked to review it. The report, shared with elected members today, stated that the proposed works “do not materially alter the scope of the Part 8 approval for the Letterkenny Traffic Management Project” as the words “could reasonably have been envisaged” under a provision that “Donegal County Council will consider and provide for the inclusion of pedestrian/cycle connectivity”.
The report was challenged by Councillor Brogan who reiterated that he felt the revision to the plans in the public consultation was not compliant with the Part 8 approval.
“It is unfortunate that the council has come back and said that this is within their remit now,” he said.
Cllr Brogan also stated that he has obtained advice on the matter, which he shared with the local authority.
“I have had professional advice for some time. I had it when I asked the council to revisit it back in November and I’m again appealing to the council to look at it again because unfortunately, I see this ending up on another forum and that’s not where I want it to be,” he said.
“My role as a public representative is to reflect the views and concerns of the electorate that I represent, and they’re very concerned. They think it’s madness. They’re eliminating the carriageway in this part of the town, which is by far, one of the busiest roads in the whole of the North West, so I think our focus needs to be how we can improve the traffic management in the town and not add to it.”
The local authority is now set to review the advice received by Cllr Brogan.
“I’m disappointed at the advice that has come from the council today, but again, I’m appealing to them to revisit that,” Cllr Brogan said.
“If it does go to another forum, I want to be able to say that I made every effort in my role as a public representative to explore all options here, because if it goes to another forum it’s not about funding fault. To me, my job is to find solutions.”
The next part of the N56 Letterkenny Urban Active Travel project will also provide signalised junctions at the Ballyraine Halls Roundabout and the Creamery Roundabout. The lights will cover key areas where motorists experience congestion travelling to/from the Ramelton Road (R245) and the Business Park area.
Cllr Brogan has states that he was in agreement with the installation of traffic lights, but that the last-minute narrowing of the road for motorists will have huge implications.
“I pride myself on all the good things the council has done, but they’ve got this one wrong,” Cllr Brogan said.
“This is where the trust of the general public is eroded. The general public has not had a chance to feed in about the change made, and that’s wrong, because at the end of the day, the council is a local authority, it’s about accommodating the local people. I think that’s something people always cherish in Letterkenny. We’ve always had a very strong community working relationship. To be honest, I think there’s a bit of arrogance here on the part of the council, and I would appeal to them to revisit that.”
