Community partnership key to future Greenway delivery – Minister

The Minister of State in the Department of Transport has downplayed the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) in the delivery of future Greenways, saying that partnership between landowners and State agencies remains key.

Minister of State, Jack Chambers was in Achill last Friday to officially open a 5km extension of the Great Western Greenway onto Achill Island. The delivery of Greenways across the country is part of the remit of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and this extension from Achill Sound to Cashel was the first Greenway in the county to be opened having been overseen and funded by TII.

Minister Chambers said he looked forward to further extension of the Great Western Greenway onto Achill Island and on the other side of Clew Bay from Belclare to Murrisk and onto Louisburgh.

Large parts of these extensions will require it to go through private land and the TII will be entitled to CPO land for these projects like they do for road projects.

However, speaking to the media in Achill, Minister Chambers played down the use of CPO in developing Greenways saying that partnership with landowners remains the preferred option.

“The success of this Greenway has come with partnership between landowners and the State and I think having that partnership approach will be important to see further progress. Agencies are cognisant of that when engaging with landowners and it's thanks to landowners we have seen the growth of the Greenway over the course of the last number of years.

Partnership approach

“That [CPO of land] will be a matter for TII who engage in negotiations but we wouldn't have seen the progress of today without that partnership approach. Working with communities and landowners is a fundamental importance to see the wider infrastructure rolled out.”

At the official opening of the Achill extension, speakers from Mayo County Council and the TII were at pains to thank the 25 landowners and the 90 shareholders of the local commonage for their cooperation in delivering the project.

Local councillor Paul McNamara thanked all the local organisations in Achill for working together with landowners for delivering the project.

“It is all about collaborating and talking to people and burning no bridges. I don't believe in burning bridges because once you burn them you cannot go back over them. That is one thing I strive with Mayo County Council to do as we take the greenway onto Achill and into the parish.

“Thank you for not thinking of yourself and yesterday but for thinking of tomorrow and thinking of the future of the school kids here today. We are doing it for them and their future and hope they will settle in Achill and if not always come back to visit it,” he said.

Minister Chambers added that the Government is ambitious to continue to invest in Greenway infrastructure around Clew Bay and other parts of Mayo and will work with the local authority to ensure they are delivered.

“There is a strong local appetite to expand the greenway to encompass the entirety of Clew Bay from Ronnagh to Keel and when that is done it will be a world class cycling route offering users unparalleled scenery along the Atlantic coast. I look forward to the development and opening of further sections of the Great Western Greenway and wish all involved continued success in progressing with the project,” Minister Chambers concluded.