Author: Michele Power

Statement from BSC on the Emerging Preferred Route for the Slane Bypass

Statement from BSC on the Emerging Preferred Route for the Slane Bypass

The Bypass Slane campaign group give a cautious welcome to the emerging preferred route for the Slane bypass. The route will address the sub-standard, dangerous configuration of the North-South section of the N2 through Slane village. It will remove a substantial amount of traffic from the northern corridor and Slane bridge, considerably improving safety and the village environment. It will address previous concerns relating to the UNESCO World Heritage site at Brú na Bóinne. However, we note that of huge concern to those in attendance at the consultation was the management of traffic on the East – West corridor (N51) which will increase in volume on the Drogheda – Navan road when the bypass is constructed. Consultants RPS and Meath County Council advised those in attendance that a comprehensive traffic management plan would form part of the overall solution. We are keen to see this plan prior to Oral Hearing. We would also like the opportunity to give input to a public realm plan which will be drawn up for the village in conjunction with a traffic management plan. We thank all Slane residents and interested parties who attended the Conyngham Arms Hotel last Thursday and urge them to complete the feedback forms included with the route brochure and return them to Meath County Council.

STATEMENT ENDS

Public Consultation Process: Emerging Preferred Route

Public Consultation Process: Emerging Preferred Route

Finally some progress…A public consultation process will take place in ‘The Conyngham Arms Hotel’, Slane on Thursday the 14th of November between 2.00 and 8 00pm. On public display will be the emerging preferred route for the Slane Bypass. Please come and have your say. This is (yet) another opportunity to inform yourself before this route goes to Oral Hearing. With any luck, we won’t have to wait another 2 years before we see some real progress planning-wise on this vital piece of infrastructure for our village.

Further Delays Unacceptable

Further Delays Unacceptable

The Bypass Slane Campaign group have described any further delays in progressing the Slane Bypass to An Bord Pleanala as unacceptable and call on Meath County Council to announce the emerging preferred route. Deputy Thomas Byrne recently raised the issue of the Slane Bypass with the Minister for Transport, Shane Ross, in the Dail with Deputy Ross advising that the project will proceed to An Bord Pleanala in 2021. This time scale is unambitious and under-whelming and fails to address the real and present danger that the current N2 through Slane village presents to residents and the travelling public on a daily basis.

Update – Route Option Selection Process

Update – Route Option Selection Process

** Update on the status of the Slane By-Pass project **

“At the May 2019 meeting of the Laytown- Bettystown Municipal District, an update was provided on the option selection process for the Slane Bypass. This response referred to ‘issues which have been raised during the public consultations and pre-application meetings with An Bord Pleanala’.

To clarify this statement, you may recall that in the ‘Reasons and Considerations’ that accompanied An Bord Pleanala’s refusal of the Bypass in 2012 they commented that ‘ Although the proposed bypass of Slane would assist in alleviating the high traffic levels in the village in a north–south direction, it would not alleviate east–west traffic movements’. The Council are giving specific consideration to this issue as part of the development of the overall solution for the village, and supplementary surveys are being undertaken to inform the formulation and assessment of possible options.

In addition, the Planning Department of Meath County Council have also engaged consultants to provide a public realm plan for Slane.

Both of these pieces of work could have a bearing on the overall option selection process. Therefore, it is considered important that they are completed before there is any announcement on a preferred option. It is still anticipated that this announcement will be made later this year”.

Pre-Planning Meeting with Bord Pleanala

Pre-Planning Meeting with Bord Pleanala

Bypass Slane Campaign understand that Meath County Council intend to hold a pre-planning meeting with An Bord Pleanala in the next few weeks. We sincerely hope that this will result in the announcement of the proposed route for the Slane Bypass and a new planning application in the very near future. As the economy picks up, there has been a noticeable increase of traffic through the village, further highlighting the deficiencies in the current N2.