SLANE HGV BAN PETITION

Preamble

22 people have been killed so far in Slane, and 1600 HGVs pass through the village each day, making it uninhabitable for residents, and unattractive for visitors.

Meath County Councillors unanimously voted for a ban on HGVs passing through the village shortly after the last major collision at the end of March 2009, but the County Manager, Tom Dowling, has refused to enforce it.

The proposed N2 Slane bypass, part of the proposed Dublin to Derry road, has been shelved, until at least 2016 – and neither the Council nor NRA has funding to even buy land for it, if planning permission is granted.

This is the only option available – to save lives in Slane.

Petition:

We, the undersigned, call on all Meath County Councillors to vote on a new motion, demanding that the Council implement the HGV ban immediately – and on the Minister for Transport and the NRA to work with the Council to design and implement it.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION

Background links:

Historical society calls for immediate Slane HGV ban

Slane residents call for HGV ban

Drunk lorry driver ploughed truck into city centre bridge

Kells may look at HGV ban as trucks remain in town

Dublin HGV Management Strategy

Dublin City HGV ban to be extended to 4+ axle vehicle

Experts call for ban on HGVs in Britain's cities to protect cyclists
Heavy goods vehicles involved in 43% of London's cycling deaths

HGV driving bans in Germany

HGV restrictions in France

“Council director of services Des Foley said that if a confirmed CPO was in place, the council would seek funding from the National Roads Authority (NRA) to acquire the necessary land and progress the scheme to construction stage.”

However, in a letter to Maureen O’Sullivan TD, the NRA this week stated that it does not have any money for the Slane Bypass.  Vincent Salafia of Save Newgrange had written to Deputy O’Sullivan in November, asking her to submit a Parliamentary Question on the contradiction between statements being made by the Minister for Transport and Deputy Shane McEntee, a TD for Meath.  The Minister for Transport answered, by stating that he would write to the NRA and find out what the status of the bypass was. He received the following response: This comes in the wake of the announcement that the Department of Transport does not have funding in the Budget for the bypass. Maureen O’Sullivan TD submitted a Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar in November 2011:

Dáil Question No: 569

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will clarify the position regarding the Slane by-pass as it is not in the Capital Infrastructure Budget Plan and it appears there is no funding for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 29th November, 2011.

a government minister has said ‘there is absolutely no change in the position regarding a road bypass for Slane’

Ref No:

36975/11

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and  funding in relation to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Noting this I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NRA for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.

An Bord Pleanala decision irrelevant

This all leads to the conclusion that even if An Bord Pleanala does approve the bypass route, which it i expected to early in 2012, there will be no money to even buy the land. It is time that Fine Gael TD for Meath Shane MacEntee admitted that he has not delivered the Slane Bypass, and to begin the process of seeking alternatives that can save lives, until the decision can be revisited in years to come. As recently as 9 November 2011, Minister McEntee has been stating that there has been no change in Government policy, and that there are resources to get the project “shovel-ready”:

Statement by Meath East TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Shane McEntee TD

NO CHANGE TO PLANS FOR SLANE BYPASS

Shane McEntee, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has today stated that there has been no change made to progress plans for the Slane bypass.

“Despite reports of the adjustment to the Government’s Capital Programme for next year, I can state that there is absolutely no change in the position regarding a road bypass for Slane. I understand that here will be no decision by an Bord Pleanala on the matter this side of Christmas. I hope they will give planning approval and, if they do the plan to bypass Slane will continue to progress. There will be a requirement to start purchasing the necessary land within 18 months of approval being granted for a scheme. I have again been assured that the project will be brought through this land purchase stage and this will bring it to ‘shovel ready’ status’.

9th, Nov 2011
Ends

So what now?

It is time for the local and national Governments to return to the decision by all Meath County Councillors who unanimously voted for the HGV ban in Slane in 2009, as a way of saving lives. All parties must now work together to minimise the danger to the local residents and others visiting or driving through Slane.

Save Newgrange is calling on members of the public to write to Meath County Councillors and demand that they lay down a new motion, calling for a HGV ban in Slane, in order to protect the public.

CONTACT  MEATH  COUNTY COUNCILLORS HERE

Balance in the budget

Letter to the Editor – The Irish Times - 28 October 2011

Sir, – With the presidential election debate all but concluded, we can now get back to the pressing matter of the upcoming budget. It is heartbreaking to read of cuts to essential public services, while grandiose, multi-million infrastructure projects, such as the new Dublin to Derry road, proceed.

Age Action is appealing to the Government to reverse fuel cuts, which “is literally a life and death issue for hundreds of older people . . .” (Home News, October 26th).

“Health authorities are cutting funding for homeless services in parts of the capital by up to 10 per cent over the coming winter months, despite growing pressure on services.” (Carl O’Brien, October 26th) Yet, “Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to cross-Border infrastructure programmes, including . . . the main Dublin to Derry road. Mr Gilmore said the Coalition would stand by spending commitments in Northern Ireland estimated at some €466 million.” (Home News, June 4th). This completely contradicts Labour’s pre-election promises. Joe Costello, Labour’s former transport spokesman told concerned groups in January that “Labour would draft a new national development plan if it entered government and every current infrastructure project would be reviewed, ‘no matter what stage of planning it is at’.” (January 14th) He also promised that hearings would be held in the Transport Committee, into the Dublin to Derry road.

But there has been no new cost/benefit analysis of roads projects done, and no hearings in the Transport Committee.

Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, should examine lower cost alternatives to building a brand new road from Dublin to Derry, like he did with the Metro and Dart. Upgrading the existing road and improving rail is the obvious thing to do.

The lives of our citizens, especially the most vulnerable should be at the top of our Government’s agenda, as we head into the cold winter months.

– Yours, etc,

VINCENT SALAFIA,

Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7.

PLEASE WRITE TO lettersed@irishtimes.com

PRESS RELEASE -25 October 2011 – SAVE NEWGRANGE

‘Delay of An Bord Pleanala Decision on Slane Bypass Welcomed’

The decision of An Bord Pleanala, on whether or not to grant planning permission for the N2 Slane Bypass section of the proposed new billion euro Dublin-Derry road, has been postponed for a minimum of two months, according to a spokesperson for the Bord.  The decision was meant to be given today, but An Bord Pleanala has revealed that the Inspector, Michael Walsh, has yet to submit his Inspector’s Report, containing his recommendations, which the board needs to consider. This usually takes four to six weeks.

Save Newgrange welcomes the delay, and is re-iterating its demands for:

-    Cost/benefit analysis (CBA) of the Dublin to Derry Road, including the Slane Bypass section. Before the Election, Labour’s former Transport spokesperson, Joe Costello TD, promised Save Newgrange that there would be CBA performed on all roads projects.  Then on 9 Aug, Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, announced that no new road projects were to start in 2012, 2013 and 2014, including the Slane Bypass. However, the Government is still committed to the deal negotiated by Bertie Ahern, to donate half a billion euro to the NI Authorities for construction of the northern A5 section of the road through NI to Derry.

-    A study of lower-cost alternatives to the new billion euro road. Save Newgrange wrote to Minister Varadkar on 13 September, and asked him to commission a study of lower-cost alternatives to the proposed greenfield Dublin-Derry dual-carriageway, since he commissioned a similar study for the Metro.  The Minister has failed to respond to this request, although he did acknowledge receipt of it, and promised a quick response.

A spokesperson for Save Newgrange said:

“We welcome this delay of the Bord’s decision on the Slane Bypass, and call on the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, to use this time to perform CBA on the entire proposed new Dublin to Derry road, including the Slane bypass.

“We urgently call on the Minister to address our request for a study of lower-cost alternatives, which would include upgrading the existing road, and improving rail access to the Northwest.

“Alternatives would hopefully also include a less damaging route and scale for the Slane bypass, as the current one is 500m from Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been condemned by leading archaeological experts.”

ENDS

(Left – right) Ciaran McClean , Aoife Power and Vincent Salafia at a protest outside Leinster House, Dublin against the proposed new 1 billion Euro Motorway A5/M2 between Dublin and Derry.

From there we went to Dame St, and showed our support for Occupy Dame Street.

Then we continued on to the GPO were Martin McGuinness was campaigning on the Presidential trail. Laura Grealish challenged him about Sinn Fein’s failure to object to the Slane bypass, in contrast with their opposition to the M3 at Tara. The story was picked up by the Guardian:

“On Friday afternoon, outside Irish republicanism’s most sacred spot – Dublin’s General Post Office, where the 1916 Easter Rising began – McGuinness was confronted, not for the first time, by members of the public opposed to his politics.  On this occasion, the subject was not his record with the IRA, nor his alleged role in several high-profile atrocities. A cross-community group of environmental activists from Northern Ireland interrupted his canvass on O’Connell Street to object to Sinn Féin support for a new Dublin/Derry road link, which they say will mean the destruction of homes, farms and businesses. One of those who accosted McGuinness was Ciaran McClean, son of Paddy Joe McClean, a prominent activist in the Northern Ireland civil rights movement who was tortured by the British army in 1971.

“I ambushed McGuinness outside the GPO. I asked him why he supported taking half a billion euros out of the Irish economy for a road. His heavies [security guards] weren’t too pleased,” McClean said yesterday.

‘Dublin-Derry Road Groups Protest Budget Plans in Dublin Today’

Roads lobby groups, from both sides of the Border, concerned over the proposed new billion euro A5/M2 Dublin to Derry road, will be staging demonstrations in Dublin today, beginning with a photocall outside Dail Eireann, Kildare, St, at 1.00pm.

From there they will visit the Occupy Dame St Camp, to show support. Then they then hope to engage with Presidential candidates.

The groups are calling on Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, to pull the funding for the billion euro project in the upcoming Budget, (which includes 500m to be paid to NI authorities), and investigate lower cost alternatives, such as upgrading the existing A5/N2, and re-opening of railway. So fat, the Minister has failed to respond to their letters and requests for a meeting.

- The Alternative A5 Alliance is based in Northern Ireland, and is opposed to the construction of a new greenfield motorway, because of economic, community and environmental concerns.

- Don’t Bypass the Bypass, based in Monaghan, is opposed to the building of another new bypass, since once was recently completed.

- Save Newgrange is opposed to proposals for the Slane Bypass section of the new Dublin to Derry Road, which is to pass within 500m of Newgrange/Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.

All three groups are working in co-operation, in the run-up to Budget Day, on 6 December.

Vincent Salafia of Save Newgrange said:

“We are disappointed that Minister Varadkar has failed to address the economic and environmental concerns we raised with him in September.

“We are also angry about Labour’s broken promises, and forgotten principles.

“Before the Election Labour promised us they would put every capital project through cost-benefit analysis, including this road, but that has not occurred.

ENDS

CONTACT:

Vincent Salafia – Save Newgrange – (087)132-3365
Ciaran McClean – AA5A – +44-7759205468
Noel Murphy -DBB – 087-656-0363

Lobby group welcomes decision to suspend Slane bypass project

The Irish Times – Wednesday, August 10, 2011
By Fiona gartland

A GROUP which lobbied against the Slane bypass because of its impact on the Brú na Bóinne heritage site has welcomed a decision by Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to suspend its development. Mr Varadkar recently said no new road projects were to start in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and only six projects already under way would be completed this year. The Minister has instructed the National Roads Authority to bring all road projects in planning to the end of their current planning stage and then suspend them with a view to reopening them in the future.

Only the N25 Cork SRR interchanges, the N3 Belturbet bypass, the N5 Longford bypass, the N22 Tralee bypass, the N4 Downs Grade Separation and the N52 Carrickbridge to Dalystown will go ahead this year. The Slane bypass had been the subject of an oral hearing and is currently under consideration by An Bord Pleanála. Local residents in Slane had lobbied for its construction because of the high level of road deaths on and around the town’s bridge. However heritage groups had expressed outrage at the choice of route for the bypass, which brought it close to Brú na Bóinne, a Unesco world heritage site.

Vincent Salafia, spokesman for Save Newgrange, said the group was relieved by confirmation that the Slane bypass was among the projects suspended.
“The county council’s own expert, along with numerous internationally renowned experts, advised against the proposed route because of the damage it would do to the world heritage site,” he said. He called on Meath County Council, the National Roads Authority and the Minister to work together to implement a HGV ban in the village.In a statement yesterday, the Department of Transport said it would be “reckless and irresponsible to spend €20-€30 million a year” to bring roads projects on to their next planning stage when there was no money to build them and they were “struggling to find adequate funds to maintain existing roads”. The same decision was taken for the Luas BXD, Metro North and Dart Underground projects on which €200 million had been spent.

[Write letters to lettersed@irishtimes.com calling for HGV ban]

—-

Fury as bypass put on hold despite grim toll of 22 deaths

Irish Independent – Wednesday August 10 2011
By Breda Heffernan, Elaine Keogh and Paddy Clancy

RESIDENTS are furious that plans for a bypass of Slane have been suspended despite 22 people having lost their lives on a horrific ‘bottleneck stretch of road’. The Irish Independent revealed yesterday that a €50m project to bypass the Co Meath village would be suspended for at least three years due to government cutbacks. The project is currently before An Bord Pleanala which is expected to deliver its ruling before the end of the year.

Concerned residents yesterday said it was “devastating” to abandon the project at this stage. Niamh O’Broin, a local mother of two young children, said safety and preventing deaths is the sole reason for the bypass. “When people talk about this bypass, it is not about how many minutes you can save on your journey from Dublin to Derry. It is synonymous with safety and saving lives, not shaving off minutes in the car.”

Dangerous

The road through the village is particularly dangerous as it has steep inclines on both sides of the River Boyne with a sharp turn on to the bridge in between. Ms O’Broin was involved in a serious accident in March 2009 when a heavy goods vehicle lost control on the top of the hill, causing a nine-car pile-up. “The problems in the village have not gone away despite the 30km speed limit,” she warned. Michele Power, a spokeswoman for the Slane Bridge Action Group, said it would be “devastating” to have the plans shelved, adding, “it would be pennywise and pound foolish with people’s lives”.

Fianna Fail councillor Wayne Harding said it was extraordinary that local Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Agriculture Shane McEntee, had joined residents on numerous marches demanding a bypass, yet was now part of an administration calling a halt to the project. “If this administration shelves this project, there is every possibility they will end up with blood on their hands,” he warned.

However, Mr McEntee yesterday insisted there was “no change” in the position of the proposed bypass. In a statement, Mr McEntee said the bypass would still be brought through An Bord Pleanala and, if approved, lands would be bought, bringing the project to “shovel ready” status. However, he failed to mention that the project would then be suspended along with dozens of others until funds become available, something Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has already confirmed. Based on current plans, no new road projects will be started between 2012 and 2014. The Slane bypass, a 3.5km stretch of dual carriageway, is estimated to cost up to €50m.

- Breda Heffernan, Elaine Keogh and Paddy Clancy

[Write to independent.letters@unison.independent.ie]

Statement by Shane MacEntee

‘There is absolutely no change in the position regarding a road bypass for Slane, in county Meath’, Shane McEntee TD has said. He continued: ‘I spoke this morning to the Office of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I have confirmed with them that there is no change in the progress of the bypass.   This project is currently before An Bord Pleanala.  It will be brought through An Bord Pleanala.  If they approve it, there will be a requirement to start purchasing the necessary land within 18 months of approval being granted for a scheme.  I have been assured that the project will be brought through the land purchase stage as well. This will bring the project to ‘shovel ready’ status’.

Shane McEntee also said: ‘Only three weeks ago Leo Varadkar’s Department met the National Roads Authority and confirmed to them that the Slane by-pass is among the ‘top five’ priority road projects to be completed by them, once planning approval has been received.   The NRA has allocated €2 million to bring the project through to the next stages.   These are the facts in relation to the bypass, contrary to the inaccurate report in today’s ‘Irish Independent’ and the opportunistic statement issued by Senator Thomas Byrne based on that report.’

‘

‘˜Cancellation of Slane Bypass Welcomed – HGV Ban Requested’

The announcement today, that the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, has ordered the National Roads Authority (NRA) to halt plans for the Slane Bypass, and 44 other new roads, is welcomed by Save Newgrange.

The group formed in 2009 after it was announced that the preferred route for the dual carriageway bypass was to run within 500m of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Drivetime show this afternoon, Mr Vincent Salafia, a spokesman for Save Newgrange said:

“This proposal has been described as ‘idiotic’ and ‘gold-plated’ infrastructure by Dr Edgar Morgenroth of the ESRI.”

“The County Council’s own expert, along with numerous internationally renowned experts, advised against the proposed route, because of the damage it would do to the World Heritage Site.

“We are calling on Meath County Council, the NRA and the Minister to work together to implement the HGV ban that was passed by Meath County Councillors, in 2009, in order to stop the toll-dodging HGVs and protect the village residents.

“We see this as an opportunity to go back and design a cost-efficient and sustainable, long-term solution that will protect both the residents, and the heritage of Slane. We will be happy to work closely with the authorities to that end.

ENDS

Contact: Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365

‘Save Newgrange to Propose M3 Motorway as Alternative to Dublin-Derry Road’

Save Newgrange will be making objections at the oral hearing for the A5/M2 Dublin-Derry road, Country Hotel, Beltany Road, Omagh, at 3.15pm today.

The proposed Dublin to Derry road was agreed under the St Andrews Agreement in 2006, and will be longest and most expensive new road (over 1bn)ever built on the island of Ireland, if it proceeds. It includes a 500m payment to the UK from the Irish Government for the A5 upgrade in NI.

Save Newgrange is objecting to the Slane bypass part of the road, which will run within 500m of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. According US expert, Dr. Douglas Comer, who was retained by Meath County Council, the proposal threatens the site’s World Heritage Status.

Vincent Salafia, a lecturer in Environmental Legislation and Planning & Risk Management, will allege that the proposed road breaches national, European and international legislation, including the UNESCO Convention and the St Andrews Agreement.

Speaking today, in advance of the hearing, Mr Salafia said:

“People on both sides of the Border, from both nationalist and unionist communities, are outraged that this proposed road is so close to the World Heritage Site.”

“The people of NI have been deprived of a right to participate in decision-making as Environmental Statement for the A5 section of the road in NI does not even mention the threat posed to Newgrange by the southern M2 section.

“While the St Andrews Agreement provides for a new level of North South co-operation, the planning process for this road has denied people on both sides of the border the right to participate in decision-making, by failing to provide them with all the information on the potential impacts on the environment and cultural heritage.

“At this point, extending the M3 makes more sense than making the same mistakes made at Tara all over again at Newgrange.”

ENDS

Contact: Vincent Salafia +353-87-132-3365

NOTE TO EDITORS

A copy of the Mr Salafia’s presentation is available on in Powerpoint

Press Release | Save Newgrange | 6 April 2011

Government Must Prioritize Monuments Bill in Programme of Legislation

Save Newgrange is calling on the Government to add the National Monuments Bill to its list of 20 urgent Bills to be published by the end of the Summer Session on July 21^st. The call comes in response to first Programme of Legislation published yesterday, listing 105 Bills at various stages of preparation.

The Bill must be presented immediately, since last month, the current National Monuments Act was held in breach of the EU Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The Court found that the decision by former Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, to demolish Lismullin national monument at Tara was illegal, since a new EIA was not required by the Act.

Save Newgrange had announced on Monday that it was staging a demonstration outside Dail Eireann on Friday, calling for the Bill to be passed before Summer, and before An Bord Pleanala decides whether to give planning permission for the N2 Slane Bypass, which is proposed to pass within 500m of the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage site. The proposal has been condemned by national and international experts. The demonstration will take place on Kildare Street, at 1.00pm on Friday.

A Save Newgrange spokesperson said:

“The Government is showing its colours, and they are not much different than the previous ones. It is now abundantly clear that there is the same disregard for heritage and the environment, coupled the same two-fingered approach to the European Commission’s Environment Directorate.

“This lack of priority for heritage in the Programme of Legislation also shows how weak Labour is in the coalition. It had been the most outspoken of Opposition parties against the M3 motorway at Tara.

“Eamon Gilmore had been highly critical of the 2004 Amendment to the National Monuments Act, brought in by Martin Cullen and now found to be illegal by the ECJ.

“If Eamon Gilmore wants to wash off the stain on Ireland’s international reputation, he should be trying to ensure that Bru na Boinne site does not suffer the fate of the Hill of Tara, and become the next great international embarrassment.

ENDS

Contact: Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365