'Feelings running high' among locals on route of proposed Cork-Kinsale greenway

Councillors and council staff had received verbal abuse from people opposed to the plan, council told

Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan said she could understand the anger being expressed by property owners on the proposed route, as there seemed to have been a lack of proper public consultation. File picture

Councillors and council staff have been on the receiving end of considerable abuse from people opposed to a proposed greenway in Co Cork, according to a former mayor of the county.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan said the current plan “has no chance of getting over the line now".

Ms Coughlan said she, other public representatives along with council employees, had received verbal abuse from objectors to the Cork-Kinsale greenway plan.

However, she said she could understand the anger being expressed by property owners on the proposed route, as there seemed to have been a lack of proper public consultation.

Ms Coughlan said feelings were running high, especially as it appeared some farms would be split in two by the project. 

She urged council officials to go back to the drawing board and carry out the project incrementally.

“We [the council] should have painstakingly knocked on doors and then we could have had a better outcome. But goodwill has been lost and there’s no chance of getting it over the line now. I propose we go back to TII [Transport Infrastructure Ireland which is funding the project] and proceed on the route in increments,” Ms Coughlan said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Donovan agreed, and maintained publicly-owned land could be used for some of the project.

He said about 1,700 letters had been sent to property owners along the proposed route, but several of them had wrong addresses.

Independent councillor Alan Coleman said submissions were now being collated by the council and its consultants.

“I propose the council executive meet directly with a delegation of the representative group [for objectors] and chairs of both MDs [Carrigaline and Bandon/Kinsale municipal district councils] which the proposed greenway runs through. I think that would be helpful,” he said.

“It simply cannot proceed in its current form. We need a pause on this and we need to relook at it,” Independent Ireland councillor John Collins added.

Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley said, like other councillors, she had been made aware by property owners of their upset at what had happened and stressed from now on, “proper consultation has to be carried out".

Social Democrats councillor Ann Bambury also proposed the council look at phasing the project.

“We must look at the least invasive way so as to avoid any more conflict,” added Kinsale-based Fine Gael councillor Marie O’Sullivan.

Council chief executive Moira Murrell said they had received about 2,000 submissions from the public on the planned greenway.

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She said the council was only in the early stages of the public consultation process and defended the amount of engagement it has had with property owners.

“We will have to go through them [the submissions] and reflect on them. There are some practical ideas and suggestions in them,” Ms Murrell said.

She added in reply to Mr Coleman’s request that she would talk to senior staff and the managers of the Carrigaline and Bandon/Kinsale Municipal District Councils about the possibility of meeting with a delegation representing the objectors.