'People coming in from all over the place, cars being robbed' shortcut to Portlaoise bus stop shot down
A Portlaoise Municipal District councillor’s request to install a shortcut walkway from a Portlaoise housing estate to the road, has been roundly rejected by colleagues.
Cllr Tommy Mulligan’s motion asked Laois County Council to explore the option of a footpath to link Woodgrove to the R945, through a vacant and derelict site in Woodgrove Lawns. It was tabled to the May district meeting.
He said it would improve connectivity and help residents get to the bus stop quicker, and asked for the option to be explored in conjunction with the residents association.
“At present we have pedestrian links to Fairgreen and Clonrooske. They facilitate cyclists and pedestrians. In Woodgrove you have to walk on the Ballyfin Road and back onto the ring road to catch the bus. One person told me they live 50 metres from the bus stop but has to walk 1.4km, and he loves taking the bus.
“We’re about to take over this derelict site, so we’ve an opportunity here, in consultation with residents,” he said.
Cllr Marie Tuohy seconded the motion.
“The bus service is so important. Imagine being that close but having to take that long walk,” she said.
While the council’s active travel engineer agreed to liaise with the association, to examine the possibility, other council members then strongly disagreed.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said “I won’t be supporting this for obvious reasons”.
“I live in Clonrooske Abbey and our estate was built with three pedestrian accesses. Tommy is correct, they are handy if you want the bus service or you want to go for a walk.
“Unfortunately it brings its problems as well. If I got a euro every time residents asked me can we put a gate on those, or stop them because there is a safety issue with small children going out onto a main road.
“We’ve people coming in from all over the place, cars being robbed and everything.
“This is to do with Woodgrove and Woodgrove Lawns. It was built 30 years ago with no pedestrian access, long before the bus service.
“People know very well they have to go to the front entrance of the estate.
“It was myself who was pushing for years for the derelict site to be CPO’d, and I’m delighted the council is moving the process. It was first earmarked for a creche and now is hopefully getting a couple of affordable houses.
“It’s not what I want, it’s what the residents want. When they heard this issue was up for discussion today, they got that exercised about it, they spent the entire weekend going around getting a petition. That has been handed to the planning enforcement section in Laois County Council. Over 90 homes are absolutely against a pedestrian access. They were horrified and totally opposed. They told me ‘ we don’t want to invite everyone from around to come into our area’.
“I’ve no doubt Tommy somebody came to you on that merit. Even if the residents were in agreement, I’d have concerns with it going out onto a main road. The fact that three cars left that route into a field, that’s the section we’re talking about.
“The next thing would be a railing to stop children running out, then a pedestrian crossing to get to the bus stop,” Cllr Dwane Stanley said.
Cllr Paddy Buggy and Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald agreed with her about the majority of residents not wanting the shortcut.
Cllr Mulligan said he wasn’t aware of the petition, nor of any objections.
“If I was I wouldn’t have brought this forward,” he said.
Cllr Touhy asked how many houses there were, in concern that the motion should stand. Cllr Dwane Stanley said there are 90 houses in Woodgrove and 18 in Woodgrove Lawns, and the petition is from both areas.
Cathaoirleach Cllr John Joe Fennelly got their agreement to rule that the motion was defeated.