Deadline for road submissions extended

Clare County Council is extending the deadline for receipt of submissions in relation to the emerging Preferred Route Corridor for Phase 2 of the €120million Limerick Northern Distributor Road.

The original deadline was March 12 but the council decided on Wednesday to  push the date out for a further period of two months to May 11, to enable interested stakeholders express their views. 
Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald had submitted a motion calling on the council to drop any plans for a River Shannon crossing to tie in with the R445 at Annacotty and to concentrate all its efforts on the crossing at Killaloe. This was due to be tabled next Monday with the support of Councillor Michael Begley. However, Councillor Fitzgerald decided to withdraw it to facilitate further consultation with residents.
Councillor Cathal Crowe tabled a separate motion calling for a further extension to the public consultation period for the route selection process and for county manager, Tom Coughlan and his engineering staff to engage more with residents.
Regarding the council’s decision, Tom Tiernan, project manager and senior engineer with Clare County Council, explained, “This decision has been made because of the huge level of interest in the project and the council is anxious to facilitate everyone who is potentially affected by the project and who wishes to make a submission on the issue under consideration.”
In addition, there will be at least one further public consultation event, similar to that held in the Radisson Hotel on January 18 last. Details of this will be confirmed within the coming week.
“The council very much appreciated the level of response received at the first public consultation event at the Radisson Hotel in January. Over 450 people attended the event, which underlined the huge public interest in the proposed project.   
“It is very important that stakeholders are very clear regarding what the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor proposal consists of, so that they, in turn, can submit to the process in a meaningful and clear manner,” admitted Mr Tiernan.
“We want to understand as fully as possible the genuine concerns of local residential, business and other interests and feel this time extension, as well as facilitation of at least one further consultation event, will greatly enhance this understanding,” he added.
Information on the emerging Preferred Route Corridor for Phase 2 will remain on display in the Westbury Area Office, Áras Contae an Chláir, Limerick City Hall, Limerick County Hall and Limerick County Council’s Area Office in Annacotty.
Design of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road (Phase 2) will progress based on the corridor to be accepted, following the public consultation process, leading to the publication of an Environmental Impact Statement and Compulsory Purchase Order in due course.
The final determination of the planning process will rest with An Bord Pleanála.