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Council abandons Polic Road plans
13.03.09
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
DONEGAL County Council has abandoned plans to erect
gates on the Polic Road in Bridgend after questions
were raised about the validity of the plan to close
the road to the public. The road has been blighted
by fly-tipping and anti-social activities, notably
open-air drinking, with the Council saying its Water
and Environment Section had spent several thousand
euro removing rubbish from the road in recent years.
After consultation with local landowners and the
Garda, work commenced on erecting the gates on
either end of the road, which is a spur off the main
Bridgend-Killea road, but work stopped on it last
week. |
“I welcome the fact
that gates won’t now be put on this public road,”
said Oliver McFadden, a Killea man now resident in
Derry who has been using and walking on the road for
more than 50 years. “I’ve had cancer for 12 years
now, and walking on the road is the only bit of
healthy exercise I get these days.”
“As recently as two weeks ago I caught a man trying
to dump a tumble dryer on the road and sent him
packing,” he said. |
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“But if the council was
to close every road there’s dumping on we’d be in a
bad way. Should they close the road over Grania’s
Gap because there’s dumping on it?” he asked.
The council could not legally close the road like
this, local councillor Francis Conaghan said adding
that the measure was intended as a short-term
solution to deal with the problem of dumping, but
once it was queried the council had no option but to
desist.
The temporary closure of any public road is a matter
covered by statute under the Roads Act and
Regulations.
Local Garda sergeant Niall Coady said that while he
was well aware of the road closure orders and having
been approached by the Council about the issue he
favoured the temporary closure of the road in order
to deal with the dumping and drinking.
“I’d like to meet any objectors to this proposal to
discuss their objections,” he said. “I believe this
can be resolved.”
The Council said it will continue to investigate the
matter of fly tipping and will prosecute any
individual or business found to have illegally
dumped waste in the area. |
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