The project to make a footpath and cycle way between Donacarney National School and Bettystown Cross has now gone for planning permission and will be subject to a recommendation by Meath County Council, to be then voted upon by local Councillors.
Councillor Stephen McKee who was the only local public representative to make a formal submission on the planning file for this project on behalf of local residents, was greatly supportive of the overall project for the following reasons;
1) There is a clear and urgent need to ensure that local children can get to school safely and that residents of Donacarney can also safely access Bettystown by foot and bicycle and vice versa. Donacarney and the wider area has become increasingly urbanised; there is a serious infrastructure deficit in the area considering the large and growing population there now is and we need to provide improved services and infrastructure to help improve the quality of life for local people.
2) We need to promote forms of transport other than car travel to help alleviate the problem of high traffic volumes on local roads and as part of our obligations to improve the local environment for all. This footpath/cycleway will encourage more local people and families to walk and cycle to and from Donacarney National School and beyond, thereby promoting healthier lifestyle options.
3) I also highlighted the concerns of residents who live along the stretch of road beyond Donacarney National School and whose homes will front onto the footpath. These residents need assurances that any intrusion onto their properties is kept to an absolute minimum. Furthermore, conditions should be attached to any planning permission to guarantee that any walls, hedges etc in any way altered within their property boundaries will be reinstated in full to a very high standard.
4) There are serious ongoing concerns about traffic management on the school road itself. It is my view that traffic calming measures to slow down traffic should form part of the scheme to improve safety for everyone, including families and children who will use the new footpath. The volume of traffic using the road is huge, with many trucks and buses travelling along it, so safety needs to be prioritised. I have asked that the recent funding award to Donacarney National School through the ‘Safe Routes To School Programme’ be utilised to this end as soon as possible.
5) The part of the design that envisages a section of the proposed footpath going in behind trees should be looked at again. In the interest of safety for all pedestrians, and in particular children, all of the footpath should be roadside with clear visibility to offer a greater sense of security.
