'Don't come crying to me' Laois councillor wants outright ban on walkways linking housing estates
A Laois Fianna Fáil councillor has tried to stop any new pedestrian paths linking housing estates, because she says most residents do not want them.
However colleagues in the Portlaoise Municipal District do not fully agree.
Active travel is a favourite catchphrase for Laois County Council, and part of a Government policy to get people exercising instead of driving. This includes a new trend of adding walkways between both new and old residential property developments.
Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald says the public are not in favour of any such links, fearing anti-social behaviour.
She tabled a motion to the May meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District, asking that a policy be added to the Laois County Development Plan, saying the council “should not support pedestrian links from one housing estate to another”.
“The biggest requests I’ve got in the last three years are about pedestrian links. Once we put this into the development plan as councillors, it can’t be done.
“People have paid big mortgages but when they bought their homes, according to the plans, these exits are not what they bought into.
“We as a council already had to close two, one at Ratheven and Colliers Lane. It’s all fine and dandy to say it’s a lovely shortcut, but it doesn’t work out. From a social point of view people do not want this. Youngsters will gather, most are fine, but people don’t want them coming into their estate. They manage and maintain their own estates, they pay their money, they do not want this. I’m asking here that we put a stop to this in Portlaoise.
“We had a proposal before for Grenville to go into Foxborough and we stopped that.
I’m asking that we all oppose this outright in this new development plan before us. We represent the residents, and they are all totally against any of these proposals in their estates.
“We know what could happen. And they don’t want to be in that scenario.” she said.
Cllrs Paddy Buggy and John Joe Fennelly support the motion in full.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley seconded the motion but not where new estates are concerned. She asked that the motion’s wording be “tweaked” to refer to older estates only.
“If somebody buys a house in a new development with walkways they know what they are walking into. National policy is grand on paper but in practice it makes no sense for people living in older estates and worried about the possible problems.,” she said.
Cllr Marie Touhy is fully against the motion.
“I don’t agree. Those that want to do harm will find access. An equal number of people will find access useful,” she said.
Cllr Tommy Mulligan is against “an outright ban” and also wants the motion amended to only refer to existing estates. .
“I think decisions should be made on a case by case basis. Paths are a huge benefit to active travel but I also understand concerns about anti-social behaviour. Links in new estates are fine but for older estates can we put ‘in consultation’?,” Cllr Mulligan suggested.
Cllr Fitzgerald told him “absolutely not”.
“This is the only time we as councillors have an influence. That is our bible. No matter how many letters go in (against planning applications) it won’t be our call, it will be the planners’ call. The only place councillors get control is in the county development plan,” she said.
She warned “don’t come crying to me when they tell us we can’t have any say”.
In Portlaoise a new planning application for Dargan Woods in Portlaoise proposes to open links to three existing housing estates; Ashley Gardens, Maryborough Crescent and Forest Park. Multiple submissions have been made by residents in objection.
In answer to Cllr Fitzgerald, the council said that it “does not support a blanket restriction” on links in the county development plan as they form part of government policy. It said such links promote “permeability, walkability and active travel”, improves access to public transport and contributes to healthier, more inclusive communities.
“It is acknowledged that poorly designed or unmanaged links can give rise to concerns regarding anti-social behaviour. However these issues are more appropriately addressed through design, natural surveillance, lighting and ongoing estate management rather than through an outright policy restriction.
“A case-by-case, design led approach remains the most appropriate mechanism to balance community safety with the delivery of sustainable neighbourhoods”, the council planning section said.
It was agreed by the Portlaoise councillors to meet council planners before a June 9 meeting about the review of the county development plan.