The haulage of timber on secondary roads is causing damage and waterpipe bursts a meeting of Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District heard.
The controversial issue arose when Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Paddy Farrell asked the council to confirm the suitability of the L7381 road in the Battlebridge area for forestry haulage and to communicate this to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
In reply the council emphasised that “the L7381 is not suitable for timber haulage/removal. There is a strict tonnage restriction due to a road collapse a number of years ago and the canal road is not capable of carrying any heavy goods vehicles. This has been communicated to the department through an observation process, and all requests from haulage companies have been refused by LCC.”
Independent Cllr Enda Stenson said the number of loads being taken out of forests is “extraordinary” while SF Councillor Cormac Flynn said it is not just surface damage that is being caused by heavy loads but water mains are also being burst as a result.
Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Sean McGowan believes many of the loads are being taken out early in the morning.
Cllr Farrell also asked that “the fire services department request a fire risk assessment from the owners of commercial forestry sites TFL01243625 and TFL01311526 along the L7381 from Battlebridge to Drumleague Lock.”
The council confirmed that the fire service will write to the owners of these commercial forestry sites asking them to submit a fire risk assessment.
*Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
