Cllr O'Brien blasts 'ridiculously long' delivery of Ballinrobe greenway

MONTHS after €465,000 in funding was granted for the long awaited Ballinrobe Urban Greenway, a local councillor has confirmed that almost no progress has been made on site.

Cllr Patsy O’Brien said the construction delay is due to red tape laid out by the National Transport Authority (NTA), who have requested 'further details on deliverables' before they can continue.

Planning has already been granted for the 909-metre cycle and pedestrian route, which would along the eastern outskirts of Ballinrobe Town, in the townlands of Friarsquarter West, Cornaroya and Knockfereen.

"I have been to the site several times since funding was granted at the start of the year and have been appalled by the lack of progress," said Cllr O’Brien.

"The NTA are making this project very difficult to complete - at the expense of the community who desperately need this outdoor amenity."

According to Mayo County Council, the Ballinrobe Urban Greenway is currently in Phase 5 'Detailed Design and Procurement', and they are now seeking gateway approval to proceed to Phase 6 'Construction and Implementation'. 

"According to the plan, there are six phases for the Ballinrobe Urban Greenway project, but because some phases have two parts, the reality is there are 10 parts to this," said Cllr O’Brien.

"I am calling on the NTA to speed up this ridiculously long process so we can look forward to a summer on the new greenway."

Mayo Co Council assured Cllr O’Brien that the Ballinrobe Urban Greenway has not run out and the  allocation can be claimed once relevant documentation has been approved by the NTA.

A spokesperson for the NTA told The Mayo News that the state body was continuing to work on the Ballinrobe Greenway project. 

"As with all Active Travel projects funded through the NTA, there are a number of Phases in the life cycle of each project as set out in the NTA’s Project Approval Guidelines. The NTA is required to ensure that the agreed deliverables for each Phase are met before approval to the next Phase," read a statement. 

"The NTA works closely with its local authority partners to progress through each Phase as quickly and efficiently as possible however, this is guided by the deliverables provided to the NTA."