NRA accused of being 'industrial terrorists' trying to kill Meath

The National Road Authority (NRA) has been accused of being 'industrial terrorists' who are trying to kill the economic development of Meath. At a meeting of Meath County Council on Monday last, councillors warned that if the authority"s powers were not curtailed, the county was doomed. Councillors were furious at recent objections by the authority to planning applications for commercial developments adjacent to new motorways. Cllr Nick Killian had sought the suspension of standing orders to discuss An Bord Pleanala"s refusal of planning permission for a commercial development at Gormanston. He pointed out that Meath County Council had granted planning permission for the project but the NRA had appealed to An Bord Pleanala who refused permission. 'This is the third time that the NRA have interfered with a decision of the council"s planning department,' he said. 'I have described An Taisce as economic terrorists in the past but now I"m calling the NRA industrial terrorists,' he said. Cllr Killian said the council were working very hard to promote business and tourism in Meath, but now, when the necessary infrastructure was on its way, the NRA were 'knocking everything'. 'We are in recession and we need development and construction. A lot of people are very annoyed that this was refused,' he said. Cllr Jimmy Cudden said the NRA had refused to allow any signs on the motorway showing the exit to City North, but if you drive farther down the motorway to Dublin, there are signs for everything - even a Sunday market. Cllr Noel Leonard claimed that the NRA was becoming the new planning authority. 'I live in Dunboyne, just a mile away from the Dublin border. I look across into Dublin and Fingal and see all the development there but they are being blocked in Meath,' he said. Cllr Leonard said there were a lot of people who were now unemployed who would be delighted to take up jobs in new industrial estates along the motorways. Cllr John Farrelly said that government policy on this issue would have to change and the Minister for Transport would have a role to play. Cllr Brian Fitzgerald said that what was happening had serious implications for the county. 'The NRA, An Bord Pleanla and An Taisce have over the past three or four years been knocking everything right, left and centre. ' I haven"t heard one national politician from this county commenting on what is going on here. We need to take action or we"ll end up with nothing in this county. The power of An Taisce and the NRA must be curtailed or else we are doomed,' he said. Cllr Tom Kelly said that, under the 1985 Act, the NRA were not allowed to have developments at intersections and they should go to the Minister for Transport and ask him to change that. He proposed sending a delegation to the Minister. Cllr Anne Dillon Gallagher was disappointed at the recent refusal of permission in Gormanston and said that development would have contributed to the rate base in Meath. She pointed out there were massive retail parks around the motorway in the Drogheda area. Cllr Joe Reilly wondered what effect these regulations would have on the Navan area when the new roads open.