Irish Heritage Rights Survey Launched to Coincide with Tara UNESCO Nomination

Posted on July 26, 2010 by vincent

PRESS RELEASE – TARAWATCH / SAVE NEWGRANGE

26 July 2010

‘Irish Heritage Rights Survey Launched to Coincide with Tara UNESCO Nomination’

TaraWatch and Save Newgrange are launching a heritage rights survey online today, to coincide with the nomination of the Hill of Tara as a UNESCO World Hertiage Site, at the 34th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Brazil, which opened yesterday.

The indepth survey asks respondents if they feel their human rights to heritage are being breached, in the cases of the Hill of Tara, Bru na Boinne, and other cultural sites in Ireland.

The Hill of Tara is being nominated at the UNESCO meeting this week, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, by Ireland, along with a number of other sites, despite the fact that the M3 motorway has just opened in the middle of the proposed site. Bru na Boinne is under threat from the N2 Slane bypass, which will pass within 500 metres of the existing World Heritage Site, and impact over 44 related sites.

Notice is being sent out to over 50,000 subscribers around the world, including many academics, environmental, heritage and conservation groups. The results will form part of a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee and UNESCO.

The online survey was drafted by Matta Schwoebel, Program Director of the 2048 Project, Berkeley Law School, University of California and Vincent Salafia, a lecturer in environmental legislation.

The survey can be accessed at www.tarawatch.org and www.savenewgrange.net

Matt Schwoebel of UC Berkeley said:

We are asking the UN Human Rights Committee to issue recommendations to the Republic of Ireland concerning its human rights obligations to protect Irish peoples’ rights to family, privacy, judicial remedy, religion, peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in conjunction with ancestral heritage sites.

“All of these rights are protected by the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.”

Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch and Save Newgrange said:

“Many Irish people feel their human rights to heritage and culture are being continuously violated by the Irish Government, and we are offering them a chance to do something about it.

“We are launching this survey today to protest against the cynical way in which the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, has waited over three years, until the M3 motorway was opened two months ago, to nominate Tara as a UNESCO Site and ask for UN protection.

“We are also asking the UN to intervene immediately and address the threat to Bru na Boinne World Heritage Site, since the Minister Gormley supports the bypass route, and has also delayed delivery the new National Monuments Act by two years, meaning planning permission for the N2 can be granted before stronger protections are put in place,” he said.

ENDS

Contact: info@tarawatch.org

PLEASE COMPLETE THE HERITAGE RIGHTS SURVEY

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Meath Chronicle: Council to close Slane Bridge for structural investigation

Posted on July 8, 2010 by vincent

Council to close Slane Bridge for structural investigation

Meath Chronicle – Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 4:58pm
Profile by Ann Casey

As the controversy over the proposed Slane bypass continues to rage, Meath County Council is preparing to close Slane bridge next Monday night and Tuesday morning for a structural investigation.  The temporary road closure will alow the council assess the condition of the bridge and what repair works are necessary on the structure, which has been damaged over the years by traffic accidents and fallen trees in the river hitting it.

The bridge, which has been the scene of many fatal accidents over the years, will be closed from 9pm next Monday night to 6am on Tuesday morning. Northbound traffic will be diverted from the N2 through Kentstown and Navan, onto the Navan-Slane road and southbound traffic will be diverted along the same route. The investigation comes in response to visible damage to the arches of the bridge believed to have been caused by fallen trees being swept along in the current and striking the bridge over the years. The eastern wall of the bridge has also been repeatedly damaged over the years by traffic accidents.

Meanwhile, as Meath County Council continues to prepare its response to An Bord Pleanala to a further information request on routes to the west of the village, the owner of Slane Castle, Henry Mountcharles, said the western route identified runs in close proximity to the rear of the castle, cuts right through the heart of the estate and an area of special conservation near a national monument.  “It is ludicrous in the extreme. This route is twice the length of the submitted route and is vastly more expensive and would completely obliterate a hostel and farmhouse,” he said.

The western route was not included in the environmental impact study prepared for the current application and had been discounted by Meath County Council several years ago as a result of feasibility studies. Lord Mountcharles said that because the western route had not been included in the planning application or EIS, he had not made a submission on the issue to An Bord Pleanala. The deadline had passed and he was now denied the right to make a submission. His son, Alex Mountcharles, had made a submission, but only on the proposal before the planning board. Cllr Wayne Harding said there was no viable route to the west and the people of Slane had waited long enough. “The selection process has gone on for the past 10 years,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Save Newgrange campaign is calling on the Meath County Manager, Tom Dowling, to immediately implement a ban on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in Slane. They point out that over 1,200 HGVs a day pass through Slane, destroying the fabric of the village, and posing a serious threat to local residents. “The HGV ban in Slane should be implemented immediately, in the interests of public safety, now that a final bypass decision has been delayed,” said Vincent Salafia of Save Newgrange.

“An Bord Pleanala may reject the Slane Bypass proposal outright, as it passes through a candidate Area of Special Convervation (SAC), which runs both east and west of Slane, along the Boyne. A final decision on the bypass could be years away, and public safety of local residents must take priority,” he said.  Mr Salafia claimed there was no logical reason for the council’s refusal to implement the ban, other than to “unfairly pressurise the planning authorities” into approving the bypass.

WRITE TO ken@meathchronicle.ie

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Irish Times: An Bord Pleanála considers alternative route for Slane bypass west of village

Posted on July 8, 2010 by vincent

(Map of eastern route options, from EIS, but no western route option – click to enlarge)

An Bord Pleanála considers alternative route for Slane bypass west of village

The Irish Times – Friday, July 2, 2010
ELAINE KEOGH

AN BORD Pleanála is considering changing the route of a Slane bypass so it will run west of the village but this will bring it just 500m from Slane Castle and its famous concert site. Meath County Council has applied for planning permission for a 3.5km route to the east of the village which is on the N2 and has been the scene of multiple fatal accidents.  The planning board confirmed it has received 110 submissions on the proposed eastern route and has now asked the council to give it more information on a possible route to the west.  A spokesman said: “The board wants to satisfy itself that the alternatives were discounted; it is exploring all options and ensuring other alternatives were explored.”

The route put forward by the council includes a new 19m high bridge 1km east of Slane but the dual-carriageway would pass some 500m from the buffer zone of Brú na Boinne, the world heritage site that is home to Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. The provisional path of the western route would involve demolishing some local businesses and has met with strong opposition from the landowners involved, including the Conyngham family who own Slane Castle.  “If they think I am a pushover they have another thing coming,” said Sir Henry Mountcharles, who spent 10 years restoring Slane Castle after it was gutted by fire in 1991.

Paddy Macken’s family have been living at Harlinstown for over 70 years and have three family businesses there, including Slane Farm cottages and hostel.  “This route would wipe out a lifetime’s work by my parents, me and my children. The route would go through the yard and house and takes the lot out,” he said yesterday. “It is just not a viable option; it looks to be three times longer and the terrain is totally unsuitable and impractical. “It doesn’t make sense and is squandering money,” Mr Mcken said.

An Bord Pleanála says the planning process is “in its infancy”, and no decision had been made on whether to hold an oral hearing into the proposed route. However, locals believe the date for a hearing is imminent, and fear a new route will delay the building of the bypass and risk more crashes. Slane councillor Wayne Harding (FF) said: “The best route has been picked; it has taken more than 10 years to get to this stage; the people of Slane have waited long enough.”

According to Sir Henry serious questions have to be answered about “a planning process that can take us back to stage one again and delay the building of the road.Meath County Council discounted this route years ago based on its feasibility study. To propose this now is nothing short of lunacy.” Meath County Council said: “An Bord Pleanála has requested further information on the Slane bypass scheme and one of the questions relates to details of the examination of an alternative route to the west of the village. A response is being prepared to that letter.”

WRITE TO lettersed@irishtimes.com

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BBC Northern Ireland – Battle lines over Slane by-pass drawn

Posted on June 2, 2010 by vincent

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Battle lines over by-pass drawn – BBC NI News  – 1 June 2010

Villagers in Slane, County Meath, on the main Londonderry to Dublin road, have long campaigned for a bypass – 22 people have been killed there in the last 20 years. But as BBC NI Dublin correspondent Shane Harrison now reports, heritage campaigners believe the planned bypass is too close to ancient monuments like Newgrange.

Slane, with its many hanging baskets, is a pretty place, especially when it’s bathed in sunshine.But the village, famous for rock concerts by the green grassy slopes of the Boyne, has a steep descent to the river and many a truck has had problems braking before its narrow bridge. Villagers like Michele Power has her own reasons for wanting a by-pass.

In March of last year she and her toddler daughter had, in her words, a miraculous escape when a truck crashed.
Motorists encounter a steep hill, before crossing a narrow bridge Motorists encounter a steep hill, before crossing a narrow bridge. She said she and Trudy had just finished the school run when she heard a lot of bangs.”I looked in my rear view mirror when I saw a truck coming up behind me pushing a load of cars in my direction.
“It was very scary and I really thought we were going to die,” she added.

Motorists passing through the village see 22 white crosses nailed to a stone wall, a reminder about the number of people killed in traffic accidents in Slane over the last two decades. Joanne Macken, a self-catering accommodation provider, believes a bypass is essential. “The amount of traffic and lorries is just ruining the village and there have been so many deaths and accidents the sooner we get it the better,” she said.

Peadar Hevey, whose house overlooks the bridge, said he has seen so many accidents there that as soon as he hears the familiar bang associated with a crash he just rings “999 before going to see the extent of the injuries. I’ve seen 95% of all the crashes there”.

While there’s an acceptance that the village on the main Dublin to Derry road needs to do something about its traffic problem some business people quietly mutter that now in these recessionary times is not the right moment for a bypass that would take away passing trade.

Some think a by-pass would disturb archaeological sites like Newgrange. Nonsense, said Brian McIvor, who runs his own training company. “The 1,100 trucks that pass through Slane every day do not do business in Slane. So, that argument does not stack up,” he said.

The Republic’s National Roads Authority, the NRA, wants to build a dual carriage-way by-pass across the Boyne, not too far from Bru na Boinne, the World Heritage site that includes the ancient monuments of Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange. For campaigners like Vincent Salafia that is just too much. He says the bypass would “impact on at least 44 archaeological sites which are probably part of the complex itself”. “We also feel the consultation that is being done for the development should have been north-south because the road goes from north to south and the people of Northern Ireland should have a say about what happens to a world heritage site,” he added.

Conor Brady, a villager, can see both sides of the argument because his wife suffered minor injuries in a road accident in Slane and he lectures in archaeology. But he he said the proposed bypass “is outside the buffer zone”.
“The buffer zone isn’t officially part of the world heritage site,” said Mr Brady. “When they set up the site this buffer zone was set up to protect the heritage in terms of views and impact of development.”

With no decision imminent on whether the Slane bypass will go ahead, the battle lines are now drawn. Once again difficult issues like road safety and protecting heritage appear set on a collision course – it’s a very modern Irish story.

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Save Newgrange welcomes Board’s request for more technical information on Slane bypass

Posted on May 26, 2010 by vincent

Eastern Route of N2 – put out for consultation in December 2009

Board seeks more technical information on Slane bypass

Meath Chronicle: Wednesday, 26th May, 2010 4:56pm

A request by Bord Pleanala for further information on the Slane bypass has been welcomed by local councillor, Wayne Harding, who said it would help clear up a number of issues.  Stressing the need to proceed with the project as quickly as possible, Cllr Harding pointed out that the board has sought further information on proposed routes to the west of the village. The route which is currently the subject of a planning application runs east of the village.

“The board sought more technical information on routes to the west. I have no problem with that as it will show that the route to the west is not viable,” he said. “I want to see as much information as possible forwarded to Bord Pleanala. The more information sought and the more elaborate the plan, the better the scheme will be and it will be better for Slane,” Cllr Harding added.  Cllr Harding said it was very important that the scheme proceeds as quickly as possible because of the dangers facing the people of Slane and those travelling through the village very day. Meanwhile, Bord Pleanala has confirmed that there will be an oral hearing on the N2 Slane bypass in the coming months, but a date has yet to be fixed.

The Save Newgrange Campaign had made written objections to the scheme, and filed an EU complaint about the development. Save Newgrange is also calling on the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to immediately present the National Monuments Bill to the Oireachtas for passage, in order to protect the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The group is also calling on the minister to make his position on the bypass known before planning permission is granted. Minister Gormley announced that the Bill was approved by the Government last month but it has not gone before the Oireachtas.

Save Newgrange spokesman, Vincent Salafia, said: “The minister must immediately present the Bill for passage, or it is likely that Bord Pleanala will approve the N2 route, leading to long delays due to protest and legal action.  “The Bill is already years overdue, and it must be passed before the Dail breaks for summer, or Bru na Boinne will be under threat. The minister must also take a position on the N2 route now, so as to inform An Bord Pleanala in their decision-making. We don’t want a repeat of Tara,” he added.

WRITE TO ken@meathchronicle.ie

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Submission Made to Irish Planning Board

Posted on February 19, 2010 by vincent


Newgrange saga in lap of the gods

The Irish Independent – Thursday February 18 2010

The Save Newgrange campaign submitted a document to An Bord Pleanala yesterday outlining opposition to the route of the proposed N2 Slane bypass.  The submission was handed in by model and spokeswoman for the campaign Constance Buccafurri, dressed as Celtic goddess Eriu.  The proposed route of the motorway is 500 metres from the World Heritage site. The group is asking for a 90-day extension for public consultation. It has also submitted a complaint to the EC.  Eriu was one of the Tuatha de Danann, who were believed to dwell in the megalithic tomb of Newgrange. In this picture, by Niall Carson, Ms Buccafurri is holding a replica of the Book of Kells, which contained the submission.

WRITE TO independent.letters@unison.independent.ie

Photo by Niall Carson, Press Association

Ex-attorney general among objectors to Slane bypass near prehistoric sites

The Irish Times – Wednesday, February 17, 2010
FRANK McDONALD, Environment Editor

FORMER ATTORNEY general John Rogers SC, who lives in the Boyne valley, will be among the objectors to plans by Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority (NRA) to build a bypass of Slane 500 metres from the Brú na Bóinne archaeological complex. Today is the last day for making submissions to An Bord Pleanála, which will adjudicate on the scheme under the 2006 Strategic Infrastructure Act. Depending on the number of objections, the board may decide to hold an oral hearing.

The proposed route, running east of Slane, is being opposed by the newly formed Save Newgrange campaign, led by Vincent Salafia, who was prominent in the protracted struggle against the M3 motorway because of its proximity to the Hill of Tara. Yesterday, Mr Salafia called on An Bord Pleanála to extend the deadline, arguing that the public notice was inadequate, that more time was needed by the public and that access to information on the project had been “unreasonably curtailed”.  He said Save Newgrange had lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission, alleging the public consultation process was “flawed” and calling on the commission to intervene so the deadline could be extended for 90 days.

The planned new section of the N2 is 3.5km long and would cross the river Boyne on a new bridge at a location 1.1km to the east of the existing Slane Bridge, which has been the scene of several traffic incidents involving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The frequency and severity of these incidents have been reduced since 2002, when the county council introduced extra traffic signals and an overhead gantry on the steeper southbound approach to the bridge, to control HGVs. It is estimated that some 1,600 HGVs pass through the centre of Slane village every day.

The volume of such traffic on the N2 led local residents to campaign for a ban on HGVs in Slane, and this was adopted by the county council in April 2009. The resolution was not implemented because of fears that it “could have serious consequences for Meath County Council in terms of possible legal exposure, delivery delays and business frustration”, according to director of services Eugene Cummins. The environmental impact statement (EIS) on the bypass proposal says it would remove through-traffic from the existing N2 through Slane, improving the village’s environment as well as giving an “improved level of service” on the route.

However, it concedes that the new stretch of the N2 route would be “just over 500 metres from the Unesco World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne, comprising the three main prehistoric sites [of] Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth”, on the north bank of the Boyne. “The assessment identified 44 archaeological and cultural heritage constraints within 500m of the route. Of these, five will be impacted directly, two will be impacted indirectly and 34 will have no predicted impact,” according to the EIS. For the 10 sites that would be affected, the potential impact is rated as “potentially significant” for three, “moderate” for two, “slight” for another two and “no predicted impact” for one.  The remaining two are “areas of undetermined archaeological potential”.

WRITE TO lettersed@irishtimes.com

RECENT NEWS

10-03-2010 Neolithic discoveries likely on Slane route – Meath Chronicle, Letter to the Editor

09-03-2010 Neolithic remains delay bypass – The Irish Times

03-03-2010 Moate’s Heritage Warrior – Westmeath Independent

18-02-2010 There is a way around planned Slane bypass – Irish Times, Opinion by Frank McDonald

17-02-2010 ‘Outside’ views should have been heeded – Meath Chronicle, Letter to the Editor

10-02-2010 2009 pile-up proves Slane dangers still exist, say locals, Meath Chronicle

10-02-2010 HGV ban would resolve Slane problem – Meath Chronicle, Letter to the Editor

03-02-2010 Save Newgrange ‘campaign of misinformation’ on Slane bypass condemned- Meath Chronicle

03-02-2010 Slane should ignore outside interference – Meath Chronicle, Letter to the Editor

01-02-2010 Slane bypass groups clash over Brú na Bóinne – Irish Times

01-02-2010 Controversy over Slane bypass – Irish Times, Letter to the Editor

29-01-2010 Controversy over Slane bypass – Irish Times, Letter to the Editor

27-01-2010 Think before you decide on Slane – Drogheda Independent, Letter to the Editor

27-01-2010 Minister urged to fast track new bill – Drogheda Independent

27-01-2010 Road 500m from buffer zone –not Newgrange – Drogheda Independent

27-01-2010 Bypass plans finally revealed – Drogheda Independent

27-01-2010 Bypass ‘a matter of life and death’, Slane group tells protesters, Meath Chronicle

27-01-2010 Slane bypass about saving lives, Meath Chronicle, Letter to the Editor

26-01-2010 Controversy over Slane bypass proposal, Irish Times, Letter to the Editor

22-01-2010  Fears over M-way near ancient site – Irish Independent

22-01-2010  Slane bypass to run close to Boyne heritage sites – Irish Times

22-01-2010  Bypass will run 500 metres from Newgrange complex -Irish Independent

21-01-2010  Slane bypass would run close to Newgrange – RTE News (Video)

Please write letters to the editors of these papers:

The Irish Times - lettersed@irishtimes.com

The Irish Independent - independent.letters@unison.independent.ie

The Meath Chronicle – ken@meathchronicle.ie

The Sunday Tribune – editorial@tribune.ie

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Slane bypass Environmental Impact Statement

Posted on February 3, 2010 by vincent

Free download of the entire Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Slane bypass. The public must make submissions to the Irish planning Board, An Bord Pleanala, by February 17, 2010. The cost is 50 euro per submission.

Non Technical Summary 6.6 mb

Environmental Impact Statement Vol 1 20.7 mb

Environmental Impact Statement Vol-2 316 mb

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE SAVE NEWGRANGE PETITION

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE SAVE NEWGRANGE FACEBOOK CAUSE

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