Date set for Slane Bypass hearing

An Bord Pleanala has confirmed an oral hearing into the proposed Slane Bypass and Public Realm Scheme will take place on 3rd April.

The oral hearing into the compulsory purchase aspect of the planning application will take place online.

After more than 20 years of campaigning, the proposed bypass will take heavy traffic away from the notoriously dangerous Slane Bridge and steep descent in the village, where 23 people have died in road traffic accidents.

"The Slane Bypass is now moving towards a crucial stage with an oral hearing on 3rd April and a decision during the weeks after," said Cllr Wayne Harding.

"After many years, we are now coming to the closing stages of a long campaign. I am confident we have made a watertight planning application and will be successful.

"A decade of comprehensive work has gone into this planning application following the refusal of the earlier planning application." he said.

The N2 Slane Bypass will comprise 3.5 km dual carriageway bypass, a bridge approximately 258m long crossing the River Boyne, three roundabouts, the realignment of 1.4 km of the N51 National Road and Public Realm improvement and traffic management measures in Slane village.

It is now twelve years since an earlier planning application for the project was refused by the planning board.