The need for cooperation between the two Council Districts, Drogheda and Laytown-Bettystown, has been glaringly obvious for many years but the Councils and Councillors have been slow to act.
The upshot of this reluctance has been that services are split between the two authorities and often the border between the two authorities cuts through housing estates which can result in one side being left without services enjoyed by their neighbours.
So it was good to see a motion from Drogheda Mayor, Councillor James Byrne being passed unanimously last night that officials from Louth County Council should engage with their counterparts in Laytown-Bettystown to discuss issues of mutual interest and to formailse a strategic alliance between the two districts.
Councillor Byrne told Drogheda Life that he was thrilled that his proposal to host an historic first meeting of the two Council Districts that govern the greater Drogheda area had received the unanimous support of Councillors.
“I have written to the Chair of the Laytown-Bettystown MD, Cllr Elaine McGinty, asking for her support and to raise this at the Laytown-Bettystown Municipal District meeting later this week with her colleagues there to make this a reality” Cllr. Byrne said.
“I firmly believe there’s a need for Councillors in the Borough District of Drogheda to develop closer ties with our counterparts in East Meath for the benefit of Drogheda and surrounding areas.
“The development of the town on the south side beyond the county boundary compels us all to come together and share our ideas and concerns in the spirit of mutual cooperation.
“We must recognise and respond to the fact that we have two separate and distinct local authorities in Drogheda but essentially serve the one town which continues to expand into Meath.”
He added that it was his hope that this initiative, as a first step, can forge a path towards forming a strategic alliance with the Laytown-Bettystown MD similar to the one Louth County Council has with Newry, Mourne & Down District Council.
“Louth County Council, to its credit, has agreed to host such a meeting early in the New Year with topics for discussion likely to revolve around road and transport infrastructure, tourism, operational matters and the development of an Urban Area Plan for Drogheda.”
