Cork County Council allocates €1m for footpath repairs
The allocation is the authority’s biggest ever spend on footpath repairs.
The money will be largely provided from unspent development contributions.
All 10 electoral areas will benefit in a programme which will tackle almost 90 footpaths. Macroom has the most broken paths at 15, followed by Skibbereen (14); Midleton (12); Blarney (11); and Carrigaline (9). Bandon and Mallow have only three each, Bantry has four and Fermoy, with eight, has one less than Kanturk.
However, the size of damaged sections and estimated costs vary greatly. The shortest segments include Bridge Street Clonakilty (15m/€1,200) and Elsinore Housing Estate, Midleton (20m/€2,400).
The R627 in Dungourney, near Midleton, will cost an estimated €1,200 for 20m and 40m of restoration at MacCurtain Street, Fermoy will cost €16,000.
The largest and most expensive projects include Belgooly in Bandon which will get €54,000 for 600m on a school route. Shamrock Lawn, Douglas (505m/ €45,459) and Youghal’s two, one-way main streets (350m/€42,000)
Eleven projects have been prioritised under projects by Cork County Council’s Joint Policing Committee.
These are: Coachford Road serving housing estates and a school in Mallow (155m/ €22,000); Dromohane village, Mallow (100m/€28,000); Whitegate Road from Scartlea Upper towards Saleen NS, Midleton (250m/ €25,000); Fernhill Rd, Clonakilty (50m/ €15,300), Mill Road Skibbereen (130m/ €13,650); Connecting existing Belgooly footpaths (50m/ €13,257); Main Street and High Street, Schull (130m/€15,600); Marwood to Brooklodge, Glanmire (215m/ €40,000); R851, Grange, Carrigaline (35m/ €16,500); Kilcrumper-Pike Road, Fermoy (330m/ €18,111) and, between N20 and Ballyhea NS, Kanturk (110m/ €16,500).
Cork County and Youghal town councillor Barbara Murray welcomed her town’s allocation as “very badly needed”, noting that town council colleague Cllr Liam Burke has been seeking repairs to three sections of footpath for more than seven years.
Cllr Murray said the provision would be very beneficial in remote regions. “Roads funding does not provide for footpaths so you often find perfect roads bordered by dilapidated footpaths that have not been touched for decades, if ever,” she said.
The councillor said the €1m may prove to be a shrewd investment for the council as it may reduce the number of compensation claims arising from deteriorating pavements.
