Calls for Mayo Greenway community to be accommodated in planning process

Mayo County Council have been urged to organise regular consultation clinics with an Achill community at the centre of a proposed Greenway extension.

It is proposed to extend the Greenway on Achill Island from Cashel to Bunnacurry and in recent days Mayo County Council has launched a website with information on the project.

In October a public meeting took place in Cashel where some landowners and residents expressed concerns regarding the proposed project route and the acquisition of private land to facilitate the Greenway.

At the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council, Achill-based councillor Paul McNamara asked the council management to hold a series of clinics to allow residents and affected landowners to speak to the project team.

“I have requested that a clinic take place in December and it hasn't happened, I also wanted it to take place in January but it hasn't happened and I would urge it take place in February. A number of clinics should take place in Bunnacurry NS where landowners and residents of the Bunnacurry/Cashel Greenway can go in individually and see the route as it is being proposed and ask any questions they have or problems they have with it,” he said.

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The Part 8 planning approval for the Cashel to Bunnacurry Greenway extension was passed by the council in 2020 but since then the project has been taken over by Transport Infrastructure Ireland who have a new set of guidelines surrounding the delivery of Greenways. These include the acquisition of land including the possibility of the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of land instead of a permissive access agreement.

Cllr McNamara added that having the clinics on a regular basis will allow any questions residents have to be answered.

“Now TII are involved and it is a totally different ball game. It has progressed in that a lot of landowners have made contact with the auctioneer but there is a fall off in communication in the centre and it needs to be bridged. There needs to be consultation not confrontation.

“I don't mean to come down and hold one or two clinics. There needs to be at least a month where the tourism section will be there for a couple of hours for two days a week where people can come in and ask a question and know exactly what is happening,” he said.

Seamus Ó Mongáin, Head of the Municipal District said he will relay the request to the tourism section but suggested it was a 'significant request' for a team to be in attendance for a month.

However, Cllr McNamara replied that he did not think it was an unreasonable request.

“A Greenway only works if everyone is in favour of it and it is welcomed in an area. All the work needs to be put in to make sure the people are happy with how it proceeds and if they have issues they have contact to express their issues.

“That facility needs to be made available over a four week period because I am getting a good lot of calls on it and I cannot answer the questions I am being asked and that is why I was requesting this.”