Council to re-draft road plans after funding delay
In the next three weeks, the council will again publish compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for 27 acres of land to allow it improve a section of the busy road. It is the second time the orders have been published because no government money was provided for the route the last time round.
The design of the road has also changed, because of a change in standards required for such a route.
Waterford County Council county engineer and director of services John O’Flynn said it is easy for the city authority to point the blame at the County Council for the state of its section of the road. Independent city councillor Cha O’Neill criticised the county authority earlier this week, saying its section was like a ‘boreen’.
But the County Council says while it has made progress on improvement plans, it needs the money first. The cost to the council is expected to be in the region of €7.9 million.
Of this, €6m would be spent on construction. 27 acres have to be purchased along the 5.2km stretch.
“Minister Cullen gave the city a significant grant fund when he was in the Environment Office. That’s why they can do their section. We did a CPO on the land 12 to 14 years ago but have since been advised legally that it would not hold up now - too long a time has elapsed because we had no money to do the works,” said Mr O’Flynn.
“We are about to publish a new CPO in the next three weeks. Design standards too have changed in that time. We got a grant of €300,000 for the CPO and hope to begin purchasing land soon. We would then hope that the Government would give us the money to compete the road. It could cost in the region of €5m.”
Mr O’Neill accused the county council of “not playing ball,” earlier this week. “We have done our share of the road, right up to the borough boundary.
It is up to the County Council now to do their share,” he said.
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