West Cork road safety projects stalled by delays to drainage funding

Efforts to address road safety concerns in Union Hall in West Cork have been effectively stalled due to delays in securing funding for a drainage scheme in the village, a recent meeting of Cork County Council’s Western Municipal District has heard.

A motion proposed by Fine Gael councillor Brendan McCarthy highlighted what he described as dangerous speeding through the village and the need for traffic calming measures such as speed humps and reduced speed limits.

However, council officials indicated that any such interventions are unlikely in the short term, as they would interfere with a proposed surface water drainage project that has yet to progress beyond the design stage.

Senior executive engineer John Ahern said the scheme, which would cover the route from the centre of Union Hall to the church, is in limbo after multiple unsuccessful funding applications.

While confirming the design work has been completed, he told members that “various funding applications to advance the scheme to construction phase have been unsuccessful to date”, adding that the council continues to explore alternative funding.

The lack of progress has effectively delayed other potential road safety works in Union Hall.

“The installation of any new hard infrastructure on the road would be premature until the drainage scheme has been installed,” Mr Ahern said.

Concerned

Mr McCarthy said he has been contacted by numerous residents concerned about speeding traffic, particularly in areas where pedestrian activity is high in the village centre where parked cars narrow the roadway, as well as the stretch linking the church, school, and village centre.

Mr McCarthy said three cats had been run over and killed in the village within a single month.

He added: “There are children, older people, and families using these roads every day. We also have a busy restaurant and significant footfall, particularly at certain times of the year. It is an accident waiting to happen.”

He added that increased activity around the Black Field, GAA pitch, community hall, and play school, along with recently completed new housing, was creating more pedestrian traffic in the area which would only increase during the summer months.

He concluded: “The delay is having a wider impact, not just on drainage, but on road safety and the general condition of the village.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.