De Burca criticises councillor's failure to adopt Enniskerry Traffic Management Plan

The Bray Area Planning Committee consists of all of the councillors from the Bray Electoral Area who are on Wicklow County Council. A majority of these councillors voted last Monday not to adopt a Traffic Management Plan for Enniskerry.

"I could not believe that four out of seven councillors voted not to adopt the Traffic Management Plan" says de Burca. "Wicklow County Councillors adopted a Local Area Plan for Enniskerry in 2002 having got a commitment from the County Manager that a Traffic Management Plan would be drawn up for the village within six months of the Area Plan being adopted. Here we are two years later and, after dragging their feet for the last year on a Draft Traffic Plan drawn up by external consultants, councillors have now voted not to adopt this Traffic Plan".

Councillor de Burca says that the sticking point for many councillors is the three-tonne limit on heavy goods vehicles that is proposed within the Traffic Plan. "Some councillors seem obsessed with the impact that this three tonne limit will have on certain local people who use HGVs for their businesses" she says. "But the Traffic Plan would allow HGVs over 3 tonnes to enter the village for access and delivery purposes. What about the legitimate concerns of the residents of Enniskerry who have been complaining for years that the village is used as a rat-run for heavy goods vehicles? In fact there was a public march in Enniskerry back before the General Election of 2002 where many residents turned out to demand a Traffic Management Plan for the village".

Councillor de Burca claims that the proposal not to adopt a Traffic Management plan for the village was made by Fianna Fail councilllor, Pat Vance who was supported by his party colleague Cllr Joe Behan, and by Cllr John Byrne (Lab) and Cllr Christopher Fox (Ind). "Councillor Vance argued that no Traffic Plan should be adopted for the village until the M50 works were completed and its impact on the village, and in particular on HGVs, was assessed" says de Burca.

The Green councillor made her own proposal that the Traffic Plan be adopted, and implemented in stages, with the three-tonne limit being introduced at a later stage. "Unfortunately my proposal was only supported by Cllr John Ryan (FG) and Cllr Anne Ferris (Lab) and so we were in the minority" she says. "The lack of an adopted Traffic Plan for Enniskerry now means that it will be very difficult for Wicklow County Council to apply for funding from bodies such as the Dublin Transportation Office. I am bitterly disappointed at my colleagues decision and feel they will have serious questions to answer to the many people in Enniskerrry who have been waiting for years now for a Traffic Plan to be adopted by the council".

For further information please contact:

Deirdre de Burca on 086-806 1450; email: deburca@wicklowgreens.org