East Mayo Active Travel funding crux must be resolved
THE ongoing bureaucracy that is preventing much needed Active Travel funding going to a Ballyhaunis project must be sorted out as a matter of urgency.
That’s according to Aontú Councillor Paul Lawless who is seeking a meeting between the Active Travel Department in Mayo County Council and the National Transport Authority (NTA) in relation to the delay in funding for active travel projects in Ballyhaunis.
Said Councillor Lawless: “Ballyhaunis was awarded just €110,000 of the total €4.5 million 2023 Active Travel fund for Mayo, which works out 2.4% of the total Mayo budget.
“It is even more shocking that the small allocation to Ballyhaunis has been withdrawn.
“The government announced it to much fanfare but since then it has disappeared off the map, literally. The funds were pulled from Ballyhaunis by the NTA circa October of last year and everything is now in abeyance.”
He continued: “It appears that the NTA was unhappy with the proposals drawn up by Mayo County Council. In repose to a parliamentary question from my party leader, the NTA stated that it was unable to grant approval to Mayo County Council to further progress the scheme in its current form, as it was not satisfied that the scheme proposals, as then formulated, sufficiently addressed the evident needs.
“In other words, it was their view that the scheme needed to be more ambitious and deliver more benefits for the area.
“Amongst some of the improvements it suggested were the development of pedestrian and cycling/wheeling improvements between Ballyhaunis Community School along the R929 road and town centre, including junction upgrades, cycling facilities, crossing facilities - this could also benefit access to Hazelhill Family GP Practice. It also highlighted the need for the development of pedestrian and cycling/wheeling improvements between Scoil Iosa along the L1910 road and town centre
“Be that as it may, it is now incumbent on all parties to come together to try and hammer out an improved plan and get the project off the ground once and for all for the benefit of the people of Ballyhaunis.”