Farmers angered by new N30 route
Denis Cummins and Jackie Wickham from Rathurtin and Bill Murray from Clonroche discuss the plans for the new stretch of the N30 at Forestwood.
A NUMBER of landowners in the Clonroche area have expressed their concerns about a proposed new two kilometre section of the N30, which would eat into their properties.
Three TDs and 13 of Wexford's County Councillors attended a public meeting in Clonroche last Wednesday night where the concerns of those due to be affected by the new section of road were outlined.
The two kilometre stretch, from Forestwood to Rathurtin, will form part of the 13.5 kilometre stretch from Moneytucker to Corcoran's Cross, just outside New Ross. This road, which will bypass Clonroche village, will tie in with the already completed Moneytucker to Jamestown scheme.
Barbara Kehoe, daughter of one of the affected landowners, Bill Murray, presented their concerns to the meeting last week and also outlined what they feel are the alternatives. It's understood that 13 farmers and several other property owners will be affected.
As well as the loss of land, there are concerns surrounding access to and from land, how it will affect farming and bloodstock operations in the area and loss of privacy, with the two kilometre stretch to rise significantly above the footprint of the existing road, which it will run parallel to. It had been planned to widen the existing N30 when the road improvement scheme was originally proposed, before a new road became the preferred option of the National Roads Authority (NRA).
Submissions on the proposed route are due in by Wednesday, September 8, though some of the landowners said last week that they had only been informed five weeks earlier. The Part VIII planning application for the new road is due to come before Wexford County Council in October.
- CONOR CULLEN
