Council move puts Clare roads plan in doubt

The National Roads Authority (NRA) is threatening to halt its planned multimillion euro programme for Co Clare because councillors have ignored Government restrictions on building one-off houses on national routes.

In an unprecedented move, the NRA has warned that it will be forced to reassess its plans for national road schemes and investment in Clare's road network if councillors press ahead with easing restrictions on house-building on the county's primary and regional routes.

The NRA's intervention yesterday prompted councillors to accuse the authority of engaging in "bully-boy tactics" and "blackmail". Clare County Council is expected to adopt the draft plan at a meeting today.

The warning follows the move by councillors, in drawing up the draft Clare County Development Plan 2005-2008, to reject the advice of county manager Alec Fleming not to allow one-off housing on strategic routes other than in built-up areas where 50km/h and 60km/h speed limits apply.

However, the council's senior executive planner, Graham Webb, supports the NRA on the issue.

In a report to be presented at today's meeting, he cautions that the councillors' move will also "increase the risk of road traffic accidents with the consequent loss of life and injury to both persons and property".

The NRA has written to the council to warn it of the consequences if it pushes ahead with ignoring established Government policy on the issue and the advice of their manager.

The letter says that what is proposed by councillors "is in conflict with long-established national policy which the NRA is committed to uphold".

It points out that "inadequate control of road frontage development adversely affects safety, leading to increased road accidents and casualty rates, which has a direct impact both in terms of the personal loss to families and economic loss to the country".

It continues: "In view of the seriousness the NRA attaches to this matter, it will be necessary for the authority to reassess the programme of planned national road schemes and investment in the road network in Co Clare in the event of the proposed amendments being adopted."

The NRA has already sanctioned €64 million in funding for developing the 233km of national primary and secondary routes in Clare this year.

However, the councillors' move puts future funding of the programme in jeopardy.

Green Party councillor Brian Meaney said: "The NRA is engaging in bully-boy tactics by threatening to withdraw funding for the roads network. It is unhelpful in the extreme and we won't be bullied about this matter."

Independent councillor Christy Curtin said he was aghast at the NRA's intervention. "Issuing threats is not the right avenue to be going down. I believe that we have adequate controls in place to ensure safety on our national routes. Are we going to sterilise building on the road from Kilkee to Kinvara, because that is the implication of the NRA's policy?"

Fianna Fáil councillor PJ Kelly said: "This is a form of blackmail by the NRA, and the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, must ensure that the NRA acts in a manner that is fair and does not discriminate."