Ballymahon businesses facing ‘financial ruin’ as road project will ‘decimate’ town

There are significant concerns in Ballymahon that ordinary shoppers will go elsewhere when a development of a pedestrian cycleway improvement scheme, which passed Part VIII planning, is completed according to business owners.

Local councillors unanimously approved a Part VIII for the project at their municipal district meeting on June 3.

The Pedestrian and Cycle Improvement Scheme will run on the R392 from St Matthew's National School to the Moigh Road.

Local Fianna Fáil Cllr Pat O'Toole, who is chair of the Ballymahon Vocational School board, commented at the meeting it was a very positive development as footpaths on both sides of the road in the area are 'very narrow and present a health and safety hazard'.

However, the Ballymahon Traders Association have claimed that Part 8 planning will 'absolutely ruin' their local community and local businesses.

PRO Rónán Ó’Ceallaigh, on behalf of the traders, has said a comment at the June meeting of Ballymahon Municipal District that “19 submissions and observations were submitted from their group opposing the development were "absolutely incorrect and misleading our residents and community”.

The local man said the association is deeply concerned about what he described as inaccurate and 'misleading information'. “This statement is completely untrue, and the facts are that seven Ballymahon Traders along with 12 Ballymahon residents were opposed to the development.”

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Mr Ó’Ceallaigh said the 'end goal' of the project is to narrow the width of the current carriageway significantly, from the top of the Moygh road down to St Matthew’s National School.

However, he said it will subsequently increase traffic congestion and delay working people during peak commuter times.

This decision was voted upon at the June 3 Municipal District Meeting.

"I attended this meeting and I was absolutely shocked by the local elected representatives who are not from the Ballymahon area, unanimously passing this, a policy from a previous government.

"This project aims to increase the width of both the footpaths and cyclepaths whilst narrowing the current carriageway, with the addition of speed ramps, and very high kerbing, hence decimating our rural town.

"The Ballymahon Traders rely on accessibility for their customers to continue trading, for financial footfall, and for their own livelihoods.

"This proposal jeopardises all of this.”

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Mr Ó’Ceallaigh has claimed the locally elected County Council representatives, "voted unanimously, without the consideration of the local people by totally disregarding, seven Ballymahon traders submissions, and 12 Ballymahon residents submissions".

He claimed in addition to "disregarding the 19 submissions, they also refused numerous appeals by local traders and residents, prior to the Municipal District Meeting, to maintain the current carriageway width, so that their deliveries could pass each other safely, that the elderly could attend their daily duties in a safe manner, all in the interest of health and safety".

He stated in addition Ballymahon is losing a large amount of car parking spaces at St Matthews National School, and this is the start of the removal of parking overall, up to 50%, in the town itself.

"This also creates a huge challenge for the farming community, during the silage making and slurry spreading season.

"With their large vehicles and equipment, the width of the proposed carriageway, shall create a huge challenge, a bottleneck, as they meet oncoming traffic and emergency vehicles thus increasing the risk of a vehicular accident, if not a fatality. Again health and safety, does not seem to be a major concern.”

Rónán Ó’Ceallaigh went on to say “This Part 8 proposal is a repeat of what has been implemented in Longford on the Battery Road, Ballaghadereen, Mullingar, Athlone to name but a few, where local residents are up in arms, protesting, as vehicles struggle to pass, park and businesses are closing down, because customers find it too challenging and awkward to go about their daily business in these towns.”

He insisted it "will lead to ordinary shoppers going elsewhere" and he stated that has been seen in some of those areas.

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Ballymahon Municipal District Cathaoirleach Martin Skelly explained that all submissions and wide ranging views from several parties, including local businesses and householders, in relation to the Part VIII proposal were carefully considered as part of the lengthy tried and trusted submission consultation process.

He stressed that the ‘health and safety of children was paramount’ and that in an area of the town where there are high volumes of traffic, he said the need to widen footpaths and provide safe cycleways were foremost on the mind of councillors when they reached their unanimous decision.

In relation to parking concerns and reduced parking spaces, Cllr Skelly pointed out that Longford County Council had purchased property in the centre of Ballymahon and this will be utilised to provide extra off street parking for shoppers and visitors to the town.

Highlighting that the width of the road following the completion of works will be six metres, Cllr Skelly said that this also the width of the recently completed Battery Road and the main carriageway in Tarmonbarry ‘one of the busiest east-west routes in the country’ and he believed that the six metres road width wouldn’t lead to congestion or bottlenecks.

Cllr Pat O’Toole stated that ‘this is a once off project initially from St Matthew’s Primary School to the Moigh Road junction that will result in a much safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists and the almost 800 students attending St Matthew’s School and Ballymahon Vocational School’.

Cllr O’Toole added, “Longford County Council’s planning department, engineering section and the members of the Senior Management Team with responsibility for Ballymahon MD would have given very considerable time assessing the 19 submissions made and on the day of the MD meeting on June 3 met the elected members for two hours to give a final overview of the project, and the agreed outcome was to proceed with the Part VIII.”

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