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[Press Release: February 16th, 2004] Greens criticize delay on Enniskerry Traffic PlanGreen Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca has strongly criticised Wicklow Council's delay in adopting a traffic management plan for the village of Enniskerry.The Green Party representative made her remarks following a recent meeting of the Bray Electoral Area Committee at which the proposed Traffic Plan for Ennisskerry was discussed.Councillor de Burca claims that the issue of adopting a Traffic Management Plan for Enniskerry was first discussed at a meeting of the Bray Electoral Committee in October 2003. "It was proposed by a number of councillors at the October meeting that the whole issue of a traffic plan for Enniskerry should be shelved until after the local elections" she says. "It was felt that the consultants, Clifton Scannell Emerson, who had been commissioned to draw up a trafiic management plan for the village, had failed to provide a plan which satisfied the demands of local people" says de Burca. Councillor de Burca claims that she insisted in October that a modified version of the consultant's plan should be adopted for Enniskerry. "I disagreed with the proposal to shelve the plan and reminded councillors that the people of Enniskerry had marched in protest at the the traffic situation in the village prior to the General Election in 2002" she says. "My fellow councillors eventually agreed that a modified plan should be drawn up and this was to be presented to councillors at the February meeting". However, councillors failed to resolve the issue at the recent meeting in February and discussions on a new plan have now been deferred until the next meeting of the Committee in May. "The sticking point was really the issue of the 3 tonne weight limit on trucks that are using the village as a rat- run" says de Burca. "A number of councillors wanted to do away with the limit altogether because they had been subject to strong lobbying from certain interest groups" she says. Councillor de Burca claims that a 3 tonne limit is essential on access roads to the village as long as it does not prevent local business people from carrying out their business. "The consultant who presented the plan made it clear that exceptions would be made to the 3 tonne limit on access roads to the village for local business people, or for those making deliveries to businesses in the village" she says. The Green Party councillor believes that some councillors are determined to do away with the weight limit altogether, regardless of how the ordinary residents of Enniskerry feel about the issue. "Essentially the issue has now been deferred until May and I wouldnt be surprised if nothing is decided until well after the local elections" she says. "It is my hope that business interests are not prioritised over the interests of the people living in the village. The challenge for us as local councillors is to find an acceptable balance between the two".
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