Major step towards bypass as CPO notice is published

A major step towards the provision of a bypass for Slane village was taken this week when Meath County Council published the public notice of its intention to compulsorily purchase land in six townlands covering the proposed route. The move has been warmly welcomed by community and public representatives in the village. Up to 40 landowners in the townlands of Johnstown, Cullen, Fennor, Crewbane, Slane and Cashel will be affected by the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) notice, which is published in supplement form in this week's Meath Chronicle. If the CPO is confirmed, the order will authorise the local authority to compulsorily acquire the land needed, as well as rights of way, easements and other rights for the purpose of the construction of the long-awaited N2 Slane bypass. With a death toll of 22 in accidents in the village and on the route to Slane Bridge, road safety has been a major issue in Slane and has been the subject of a long-running campaign by villagers. The proposed bypass would follow a route to the east of Slane village not far from the Ledwidge cottage at Janeville and would become the realigned N2 national primary road. The southern tie-in to the existing N2 would be a short distance north of McGruder's Cross in the townland of Johnstown. The northern tie-in would be located just north of Slane village. The scheme is approximately 3.5km long and is intended to cross the river Boyne on a new bridge between the townlands of Fennor and Crewbane at a location approximately 1.1km to the east of the existing N2 Slane bridge. An environmental impact statement, for which a separate public notice has been published, has been prepared in respect of the development which it is proposed to carry out on the land. Bord Pleanala has absolute discretion as to whether a public oral hearing into the application may be held. If it decides in favour of a hearing, evidence in relation to the likely effects of the project on the environment are likely to be heard there. Niamh " Broin of the Bypass Slane Campaign Group said they very much welcomed the publication of the CPO and EIS. She said it was the first major step required in applying to Bord Pleanala for planning permission. "It is clear that there will be a timeframe for this process but when, as we very much hope, permission is granted that An Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will follow through on their promise to prioritise the Slane bypass by providing the relatively modest funds required for construction. Given that the lead-in time for the bypass could be a number of years, we will maintain pressure for effective road safety measures to be implemented in the village as soon as possible", she said. Website The group hopes to have a website - www.bypassslane.ie - up and running by the end of this week. They have also produced car stickers as part of their campaign. Meath County Council cathaoirleach Bill Carey said at the signing of the CPO order that he welcomed the progress of this important infrastructure which would mean so much to Slane and all the road-users of the N2. He said he would use his position to keep it on the NRA priority list. Fine Gael Cllr Ann Dillon Gallagher said she was delighted that the CPO notice was being published. "At least it is going to be ahead of the Claregalway bypass, which is one good thing. I heard that Noel Grealish, TD, was seeking a bypass for Claregalway as part of his deal with the Government on the budget so we should be in before that," she added. The councillor said she had long campaigned, with others, for a bypass for Slane. "Slane came up very quickly and I am delighted to welcome it. At least it is a step in the right direction. It is the best news there has been in the past 10 years. Now we have to keep it up there on the agenda," she declared. Kieran Baxter of Slane Community Forum said he did not think there would be any objections to the CPO order being sought by the council. "Everybody here would be anxious to get on with the building of the bypass. I mean, the situation we have here has left the village in a very dangerous position, and it's the safety aspect that comes first. But also because of the sheer volumes of traffic in the village, the speed of it at times, and the restrictions on parking, business has also been affected. And I can't see a recovery of any kind until the bypass is built," he said. Fianna Fail Cllr Wayne Harding and Deputy Thomas Byrne also welcomed publication of the CPO. Cllr Harding described it as "a fantastic development". He said: "The people of Slane have waited a long time to get their bypass and it is now at a stage that it never been at before. I am truly delighted with the urgency that the NRA are showing in relation to this project." Deputy Byrne said this part of the preliminary design phase meant the project could now move forward to the next stage of the process.