Writes Leo McMahon
The need for a footpath on the bad bend at Church Bay Road, Crosshaven as soon as possible was urged by an Cathaoirleach Cllr Audrey Buckley (FF) at the recent meeting of the county council’s Carrigaline Municipal District (MD).
‘With an added 100 homes along and potentially 200 more cars using the road, I would like to see a report done on how to safeguard the many walkers. When will a footpath, which has permission, be installed on the bad bend?’ she asked, adding in a motion, that the temporary access from Helms Point estate to Church Bay Road should be closed since the new development now that it was connected to the sanitary schemes on Church Bay Road.
In a report, senior executive engineer Madeleine Healy said full connectivity had been provided between Helms Point and Crosshaven village centre. There were currently no plans to continue further east with footpath works. At the previous meeting, she said that having the boundary set back would be helpful if this was pursued at a later date.
Cllr Buckley acknowledged there was connectivity between Helms Point and the village but asked what about residents further on and visitors who, on arriving into Crosshaven, wished to walk along the busy road from the village to and from Church Bay and Weaver’s Point.
Seconding, Cllr Jack White (FG) said it was a great motion and added there was also need for improved pedestrian safety at the access to Brightwater off Church Bay Road with a raised table.
Cllr Seamus McGrath (FF) in support, said that while the council hadn’t acquired the land at that point and extending a walkway as far as the cemetery would be a bigger project, a footpath at the bend was badly needed as soon as possible.
The engineer reiterated that as things stood, the council couldn’t say if and when works could be done because it currently wasn’t in a position to do anything. There were private entities involved and the council had to await the outcome of their involvement. Only then could it assess what could be done at the bend. As for closing the temporary road, this was a matter for the council’s planning section.
With regard to improving safety at the Brightwater entrance, Ms Healy said she had put it forward for inclusion on the list for a possible Low Cost Safety Scheme.
In reply to another motion from Cllr Buckley, the engineer assured her that landowners were reminded by public advertisements of their responsibilities to trim back their roadside hedges and said specific areas deemed hazardous could be referred to the area office by councillors at any time. The area office continually took on the responsibility of maintaining lines of sight at junctions etc.
Cllr Buckley welcomed this on behalf of walkers using many rural roads in the MD without footpaths and having regard to the fact that cutting back overgrowth between March 1st and August 31st was prohibited.
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