County councillors to receive monthly greenway updates after row over landowner notifications for proposed project

Councillors have been promised monthly updates on greenway projects following a heated row over how information about the proposed Skibbereen to Baltimore route was distributed to landowners.

Members of Cork County Council’s Western Divisional Committee claimed notices were delivered to some properties, but not others, while some material was allegedly left in milking parlours, instead of being handed directly to residents.

Independent Ireland councillor Daniel Sexton said elected representatives had not been told in advance that notices were being distributed along the proposed route.

“One property got them, the next property didn’t,” he said. “There’s no consistency with these letters that were thrown in the door.”

Mr Sexton said councillors had been told there was no map for the proposed greenway, yet landowners were being given forms seeking expressions of interest.

“Throwing leaflets and walking away isn’t engaging,” he said. “That’s doing delivery. That’s what the postman does.”

He described the handling of the issue as “scandalous” and warned that the project risked getting off to a poor start.

Mr Sexton said residents were worried about the possible impact on farms and gardens, while councillors were being contacted by people looking for information they did not have.

He also pointed to concerns about existing roads and parking in Baltimore, saying he would like to see those problems tackled before a greenway was developed.

However, he stressed that he was not opposed to greenways and had used successful routes elsewhere.

“They are fantastic down in Waterford,” he said. “I know how good they can be, but they have to be done properly. People have to be happy with them coming there.”

Council executive commitment 

Independent councillor Alan Coleman said the council executive had now committed to placing greenway progress on the monthly agendas of the West Cork, Bandon-Kinsale and Carrigaline municipal districts.

He said this should ensure councillors were told in advance about developments in their areas. Mr Coleman said the Riverstick–Belgooly–Kinsale section of the Cork to Kinsale greenway remained the council’s priority, with between 25 and 30 landowners being contacted.

He also criticised the Transport Infrastructure Ireland process for developing greenways, describing it as too rigid and saying the use of wide route corridors caused unnecessary alarm among large numbers of landowners.

Fine Gael councillor Brendan McCarthy said it should be “basic manners” to inform local representatives before letters were distributed.

He said a proposed greenway may only be about four metres wide, but the use of a 400-metre study corridor could leave hundreds of people fearing it might cross their property. 

“Fearmongering and fear creeps into the vacuum of information that’s there when we don’t know what’s happening,” he said.

Independent Ireland councillor John Collins took issue with the reference to fear-mongering and defended residents who had attended public meetings to raise concerns.

“That’s not the way to deal with something so important to people,” he said.

He insisted that those raising concerns were not opposed to greenways or walkways. 

“The process is the problem — the way the council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland went about it,” he said.

Social Democrats councillor Isobel Towse said she had also been contacted by residents who strongly supported a greenway between Skibbereen and Baltimore. She said one person had told her they would cycle into Skibbereen at weekends rather than drive if a safe route was available.

Ms Towse also argued that concerns about compulsory purchase orders were being exaggerated.

“Compulsory purchase orders are being hyped up to the max by anti-greenway lobby groups and politicians,” she said.

Her comments prompted a further exchange with Mr Collins, who rejected any suggestion that councillors or local campaigners were deliberately frightening residents. 

The committee agreed that better communication was needed and welcomed the commitment to provide councillors with regular updates as the projects progress.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.