Standoff over Ballagh public realm works enters seventh week

Opposition to the council’s public realm works in Ballaghaderreen continues to harden despite meetings between Roscommon County Council and public representatives a week ago.

Members of the council executive held two separate informal meetings last Wednesday, a morning one with the six Boyle Municipal District councillors followed by another in the afternoon with local Oireachtas members.

Despite this engagement, it’s understood that no progress has been made on ending the standoff between the local business community and the council.

Retailers and residents are continuing to demand major revisions to the public realm plans before they withdraw their ongoing protest.

“We were back out there again this morning on our protest and the bottom line is our campaign still stands and we’re going nowhere,” said local businessman, Brian Mulligan.

Retailers are fiercely opposed to the proposal to permanently close one of the roads on The Square outside the bank and other businesses.

There are also major fears that the plans in their current format will decimate local trade by removing a significant number of parking spaces, especially on The Square.

There are further concerns about the new layouts involving footpath widening and road narrowing, which local people claim are already making the town very difficult for vehicles to navigate.

The main contractor and his workforce have not been on site since the controversy arose, and work has ground to a halt since the protests began on March 10th.

Local Independent councillor Micheál Frain said the bottom line was that a solution had to be found. He believed the council needed to engage with local Oireachtas representatives to look at another Part 8 plan involving an agreed revision on the proposals for The Square.

“It’s down to the road in front of the bank, that’s what it is down to,” he said.

Cllr Frain recommended that the proposed works for The Square be postponed in order for agreement to be reached on a new Part 8 involving a consultation process with local traders.

Roscommon County Council previously said it is proposing to fully offset the loss of parking spaces in the town centre. This included providing a minimum of eight additional parking spaces in and near The Square and improving access, lighting, security and signage for the nearby 72 space Plots carpark. 

“These works can be completed within the confines of the existing planning permission for the project,” the council said.

The council is also proposing to develop a new 50-space car park located within 60 metres of the town square, to be delivered in parallel with the public realm scheme.