Slane HGV ban needed as soon as possible

Dear sir - Following the recent refusal of planning permission by An Bord Pleanála for the Slane Bypass, Meath County Council should proceed as quickly as possible in dialogue with the NRA to get a HGV ban in place through Slane village. Planning for an alternative route should also begin immediately as there is overwhelming local demand for a bypass to reduce traffic volumes through the village. Over the past 40 years, Slane has become choked with heavy traffic and this affects the social, community and commercial life of the village. The rich heritage of Slane is itself under threat. With the delivery of a bypass, Slane village would be better positioned to maximize its huge tourist and cultural potential and to develop that important heritage. It is very important to keep building and planning our roads with the primary objective of reducing carnage, preventing accidents and allowing communities such as Slane to grow, prosper and to develop their important heritage, whilst at the same time preserving and protecting the culture and heritage such as that we have within the Boyne Valley and the UNESCO World Heritage site at Newgrange. There are already traffic-calming measures in place in Slane and a 30km per hour speed limit leading to the bridge but this limit is not being enforced. We need to ask why this is the case? In absence of the construction of a bypass any time soon, we need to ensure that all possible road safety measures are put in place in Slane and that the Gardai are given adequate resources to tackle speeding offenders. That's the very least we can do in the short-term for the people of Slane and the many families in the Slane area who have had their lives shattered following a death or serious injury to a loved one on the existing N2 road through the village. Yours, Stephen McKee, Slane -East Meath Fianna Fáil.