Road plan a major threat to historic city centre

AT a time when planning authorities elsewhere are trying to keep traffic out of city centres, Kilkenny’s application to An Bord Pleanála for permission to construct and inner relief road which will funnel heavy traffic through the ancient centre of the city is worryingly out of step with the rest of the world.

I regularly act as a guide to historic places in Ireland, and I know from first-hand experience that what most attracts many people to Ireland is the charm of its unspoilt landscapes.

As Ireland’s only near intact medieval city, Kilkenny is one of the major tourist attractions in the country. An inner relief road would increase noise and pollution in the city centre.