Road safety a big issue for Kilcullen meeting on Kilsaran proposal

Road safety came out as the biggest issue at last night’s public meeting in Kilcullen in relation to the proposed sand and gravel extraction site at Ballyshannon, writes Brian Byrne.

The meeting in Scoil Bhride was facilitated by Kilcullen Community Action and was attended by around 50 local people in addition to members of the Ballyshannon Action Group, who had been invited to make a presentation. There was again a significant attendance of public representatives at the Kilcullen meeting.

Opening the meeting, KCA chair Ann Cashman said the group and those present were there to learn about what’s happening, and to find out what would be the impact on the community of Kilcullen.

Matthew Burke of the Ballyshannon Action group then made a presentation on how to make objections to the planning application, similar to the one he gave in Ballyshannon Hall last week. Handouts were also available to anyone who wanted to make a submission.

Ballyshannon resident Anna Sage with Eoin Houlihan.

A presentation by Kilcullen resident Eoin Houlihan concentrated on the impact of extra trucks traffic in the town environs, including Junction 2 of the M9 where the proposers of the quarry say the trucks will join the motorway to distribute the extracted material in other Kilsaran plants in Dublin and elsewhere. He said the junction was, in his opinion, not a proper motorway one with access roundabouts to provide safe merging of traffic.

“There are already queues on the ramp approaching Kilcullen, with traffic trying to cross the road to go south. With many more trucks potentially doing the same thing, I believe there is a serious accident possibility there.” He noted that four accidents had been reported to An Garda at that point in the last 18 months.

Mr Houlihan also commented on a number of ‘pinch points’ within Kilcullen itself, which contribute from time to time to a ‘nightmare’ of traffic conditions. “Lorries going through the town with a full load are belching out fumes,” he said. “It is not good for anyone on the street. I have been living in Kilcullen for nine years, and the town is not as safe as it used to be, with trucks, tractors and cars all trying to come through.”

He said that with its schools, shops, restaurants and bars, and the Valley Park Fairy Trail, is a ‘place for families, who need to feel safe’. He also expressed scepticism at guarantees from Kilsaran executives that there would be no increase in truck traffic through the town from the Ballshannon facility. “They’re decent people and I’d like to believe them, but can they guarantee that in the future circumstances won’t change?”

Pat Griffin with Cllr Rob Power.

In contributions from the floor, Old Kilcullen resident Pat Griffin spoke about the existing dangerous traffic conditions in the area, from Thompson’s Cross to Whitehall Cross and onwards to Ballyshannon, which he described as a ‘death trap’ where there have already been a number of serious accidents. He said 72 trucks a day as envisaged in the Ballyshannon proposal would create an ‘absolutely crazy’ situation.

Kilcullen resident JJ Warren said that from his home on Hillcrest he can see ‘every truck that goes to and from the Kilsaran plant at Brownstown’. He warned against making anecdotal claims of safety issues involving trucks, as it ‘could backfire’ on the campaign. “Kilsaran will say they have a very good safety record, and they do have,” he said, noting the recent incidents in the town did not involve the company’s trucks. “They have also been very good employers in this area over 20 years.”

Mr Warren suggested a a ‘more clinical than emotional’ approach to making submissions, rather than depending on large numbers. He suggested that the planners won’t read thousands of submissions but will take out the more technical ones and base their conclusions on those. “If people in different areas club together and make one good submission between them, it would be much more efficient and you’ll get a better result."

Deputy Martin Heydon with Orla O'Neill and Lynn Worrall.

This approach was acknowledged from the floor by Deputy Martin Heydon, but he said that this is ‘our first shot’ with submissions due by 6 November. “I’m a firm believer that in the first shot, you show your intent. With a large number of submissions Kildare County Council will know that the eyes of Ballyshannon and Kilcullen will be on them."

Cllr Suzanne Doyle, Cathaoirleach of Kildare County Council, advised that there are five pages in the County Development Plan on extractive industries, and the effects of scale. “Read those, they will help,” she said, adding that there will need to be a condition in any approval which provides for high tech constant supervision of activities in and around the development.

Other contributions before the meeting was closed included concerns about the emissions and vibrations from increased numbers of trucks. In one case, the question was raised about the safety of the bridge in Kilcullen with HGV traffic on it daily.



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