Cost sinks Ballina jetty relocation

Cost sinks Ballina jetty relocation


Ciara Galvin

PLANS to relocate the jetty at Ballina’s Bachelor’s Walk to a proposed site at Ballina Harbour lost buoyancy at last week’s meeting of Ballina Town Council. The proposal to move the jetty was made at a meeting last April after councillors overturned a 2010 decision to close the jetty.
At a meeting last July, councillors were told that the cost of removing the jetty would be €6,500. However, that figure subsequently rose to €7,500, while the cost of installation at the harbour was estimated to be €75,000.
“That puts the tin hat on it,” noted Fianna FΡil councillor Willie Nolan. He suggested that a new jetty at the harbour might be a better option.
Fianna FΡil councillor Frances McAndrew, who has always been in favour of keeping the Bachelor’s Walk jetty, suggested a floating pontoon for the harbour.
Meanwhile, Independent councillor Gerry Ginty suggested enhancing the jetty at Bachelor’s Walk.
Independent Cllr Peter Clarke told the meeting that the Bachelor’s Walk jetty was ‘an accident waiting to happen’ and that steps needed to be taken to make it safe. He also said that elderly people living near the jetty were being ‘persecuted’ by antisocial behaviour at the jetty. Cllr Mary Kelly suggested blocking the jetty at night in order to address the problem.