This article is from page 20 of the 2012-01-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 20 JPG
CLARE County Council will effectively be sounding its own death knell if it approves plans by the National Roads Authority (NRA) for a new salt depot outside Ennis, a senior member of the council has warned.
Independent councillor Tommy Brennan said the council would be “cutting its own throat” if planning permission for a 6, 500 tonne regional salt depot at the old GAMA site on the Tulla Road Interchange.
The NRA will take charge of maintenance of the country’s motorway network with the proposed Tulla Road depot used to service the motorway in Clare and parts of Galway and Limerick.
However the project came in for blistering criticism at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis East Electoral Area. Committee chairman Cllr Brennan labelled the project a “waste of time” and taxpayer’s money, saying it represents a unnecessary duplication of resources.
Cllr Brennan said the council had adequate salt supplies at its depots in Beechpark while council workers had worked “night and day and provide exemplary” maintenance services on the county’s road and motorway network.
He said the Minister for the Environment should be made aware of the concerns that exist over the project. Cllr Brennan said that he firmly be- lieved that if the minister examined the project “logically” then it would not go ahead.
He described the NRA as a “quango that has nothing to do”, arguing that authority’s move to road maintenance is based on the fact that no more roads are being built.
He said, “I firmly believe that all we are doing is cutting our own throats.”
He added, “I think it’s a down right disgrace. We have four salt barns on the Miltown Malbay road.”
Members received an update on the Part 8 planning process for the salt depot. Cllr Brennan said the council should not engage with the process, adding that the NRA should follow the same planning process as other applications.
Cllr Brennan was also critical of the layout of the proposed project. He said the installation of a roundabout must be included as a condition of planning if the project is approved.
He explained that a landowner is seriously concerned that the project, as currently designed, will impede access to his property.
County engineer Tom Tiernan said he would highlight Cllr Brennan’s concerns to the minister. He said he had urged the NRA to consult with the landowner.
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the site should be used for the development of secondary school for the Barefield area.
“The needs locally in the community are greater than those of the NRA,” he added.