Planning permissions on hold until relief road route finalised

FRUSTRATION is growing among businesses and residents over the delay in finalising a preferred route for the long-awaited Northern Relief Distributor Road, which could cost in the region of €100 million.
Planning permission for new developments on the outskirts of Clonlara and Parteen have been put on hold, pending the possibility they could impinge on one of the five options for the new distributor road, which is designed to alleviate traffic congestion in parts of South-East Clare and Limerick City North.
Clare County Council expects the emerging preferred route should become known by January, which will kick-start a series of public consultations.
Clare County Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald said he is disappointed with the ongoing delay, which he claimed has huge planning implications for residents and businesses seeking approval for new developments.
“We have been talking about the need for this Northern Distributor Road for the last 15 years. We thought we would have a line selected by November, now it looks as if it will not happen until the new year.
“It is affecting jobs because people who want to build a new house or extend an existing one or develop a new business in Parteen, Ardnacrusha or Westbury are running into planning difficulties, which will not be resolved until the preferred route is chosen.
“I would like to get confirmation when the route will be selected to inform my constituents what is going on. I have been trying to get this information from the council but have been unsuccessful,” he said.
Clare County Council senior engineer Tom Tiernan told The Clare Champion the emerging preferred route is very close to being finalised and should be chosen in January.
Asked about the overall cost, Mr Tiernan explained it is extremely difficult to give a precise figure until the preferred route is selected, with estimates ranging from €80 to €120 million.
The first phase of the Northern Relief Road, running from Coonagh to Knockalisheen, a separate project being managed by Limerick City Council, has gone to the Compulsory Purchase Order stage.
Subject to the selection of the preferred route, the new Northern Relief Road will extend nine or 10km from the north side of Limerick City across the River Shannon, with a new bridge crossing linking to the old N7.
Having received the necessary finance for previous stages, Mr Tiernan hopes Government funding will be approved for the next stages, including a preliminary design, environmental impact statement (EIS) and CPO.
While it is too soon to speculate if the new road will facilitate new access to the Clare campus of the University of Limerick, Mr Tiernan said the purpose of the new route is to accommodate major new developments north of Limerick City.
He explained this new route would offer better access for motorists, particularly on approach roads leading to Corbally near Athlunkard Bridge, which is often subjected to severe traffic congestion every morning and evening, particularly on weekdays.
Eamonn Morrissey, Clonlara, recently had to withdraw a planning application to extend Larkin’s Bar in Shanakyle because no decision has been made concerning the distributor road.
Last May, Mr Morrissey was granted a six-month extension of time on the consideration of his application on the expectation that the route would be decided in November.