Over 100 submissions received

OVER 100 written submission were received from the public and organisations as part of the public consultation process for the new €100million Northern Relief Road, Clare County Council has revealed.
Senior engineer Tom Tiernan stressed any further submissions will be considered in detail concerning the emerged preferred route.
Mr Tiernan reiterated the process facilitating selection of the Preferred Route Corridor for the project and further stages of its development is clearly set out through regulation and is designed to facilitate public consultation in an open and transparent manner. 
He explained that extensive research, survey work, investigations and so on were carried out by consultants throughout the Constraints Study Area and the information gathered in association with submissions received from the general public in 2010 led to the publication of a number of feasible route options in June 2011.
At that time, a public consultation event was held in the Greenhills Hotel, Limerick and this was followed by a four-week public consultation period.
“Throughout the process, information is methodically gathered and surveys and investigations are completed in accordance with established requirements and all information to emerge, along with that submitted through the public consultation periods, is considered in detail in accordance with a wide range of regulated criteria.”
Mr Tiernan said the work completed over the past 15 months resulted in the publication of the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor in the Radisson Hotel on January 18. The event attracted significant public interest and will undoubtedly result in more written contributions from the public in the next few weeks, which Mr Tiernan assured will be considered in great detail.
Commenting on areas where flooding has occurred, Mr Tiernan explained the council has responsibility to design in such a way that any flood risk pertaining to a particular area is not exacerbated as a result of construction.
Regarding the suggestion that a guarantee be given that flooding would never occur again after the dual carriageway is constructed, Mr Tiernan stated “this is a road scheme, not a flood relief scheme and so resolution of flooding problems is not part of the strategy here”.
Commenting on the input of ESB and UL, he noted these bodies have been facilitated in the public consultation processes that same as all other members of the general public who chose to participate with “nothing more, nothing less”.
“This is a very significant project which will ultimately bring huge benefits for South East Clare, the north side of Limerick City and the region in general. The complexity of a project such as this is such that it will not be possible to achieve it in a way that everyone’s needs can be fully addressed but the process is structured to be as fair as possible to all stakeholders and Clare County Council and its consultants are fully focussed on ensuring that this approach is manifest throughout,” he added.