Meeting held at City North Hotel, Julianstown, on Monday 20th July 2026
Around 150 people attended a public meeting at the CityNorth Hotel on Monday, 20th July, to discuss concerns about the Julianstown Traffic Relief Scheme and how the project has progressed so far.
The meeting was organised by the community campaign Yes to Julianstown Traffic Relief, No to Another Bypass and brought together residents, farmers, business owners, elected representatives and people from across East Meath and South Drogheda.
Organisers said the evening focused on securing genuine traffic relief for Julianstown through a process that is fair, transparent and based on evidence.
Throughout the evening, campaign members outlined what they believe are a number of significant shortcomings in the process to date, including:
- A consultation process that appears to have focused on bypass corridors rather than first establishing whether a bypass is the most appropriate solution.
- Limited evidence that reasonable alternatives, including improved access to the nearby M1 motorway, HGV management measures and other traffic management options have been fully explored alongside a new bypass.
- Concerns regarding stakeholder engagement and whether all sections of the community have been afforded equal opportunity to participate throughout the appraisal process.
- A lack of transparency around how key decisions have been reached and how consultation responses will ultimately influence those decisions.
A central focus of the meeting was what organisers described as a fundamental flaw in the current public consultation survey.
Although respondents are first asked whether they support the construction of a bypass or ring road, those who answer “No” are nevertheless required to rank their preferred bypass routes. If they do not alter the rankings, the survey records a default route preference.
Campaign members argued that this methodology risks producing consultation results that do not accurately reflect public opinion by effectively recording route preferences from respondents who have already rejected the need for any bypass.
“If someone has clearly stated they do not want another bypass, requiring them to rank bypass routes cannot reasonably be interpreted as support for those routes. Consultation should measure what people actually think, not oblige them to participate in a decision they fundamentally disagree with.”
Speakers argued that meaningful public consultation under the Transport Appraisal Framework should help identify the transport problem, consider all reasonable solutions objectively and allow communities to shape outcomes before decisions become fixed. They expressed concern that the current consultation process instead risks reinforcing a predetermined solution rather than objectively testing all available options.
Cllr Geraldine Keogan, Cllr Carol Lennon and Cll Amanda Smith with Campaign Chairperson Anne Dowling
The meeting also highlighted the potential impact that a further bypass could have on homes, established businesses, productive farmland, protected habitats and Julianstown’s unique heritage, while questioning whether these impacts can be justified when existing infrastructure offers opportunities to improve access to the M1 only minutes from the village.
Campaign organisers reiterated that Yes to Julianstown Traffic Relief, No to Another Bypass is not opposed to improving traffic conditions.
“Our campaign supports meaningful traffic relief,” a spokesperson said. “What we are asking for is a process that fully complies with the principles of the Transport Appraisal Framework, one that objectively considers every reasonable option before arriving at a preferred solution. The people of Julianstown deserve confidence that the outcome is driven by evidence, not by assumption.”
Organisers thanked everyone who attended Monday evening’s meeting, describing the turnout as a clear demonstration of the community’s desire to engage positively in shaping Julianstown’s future. They also thanked the local public representatives who attended and listened to and were supportive of the concerns expressed by residents.
With the current consultation remaining open until 31 July 2026, the campaign is encouraging members of the public to make their views known directly by emailing transport@meathcoco.ie.
People who believe another bypass is unnecessary are encouraged to:
- Reference the Julianstown Traffic Relief Scheme.
- State that they do not support another bypass or ring road.
- Confirm that they have no preferred bypass route.
- Request that all reasonable alternatives—including improved M1 access and other
traffic management measures—are fully assessed in accordance with the principles
of the Transport Appraisal Framework before any preferred option is advanced.
Campaign organisers concluded that the exceptional attendance at Monday night’s meeting demonstrates that the community wants both effective traffic relief and a planning process that is transparent, accountable and capable of withstanding public scrutiny.
