Stop this road campaign await Bord’s decision

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04b785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Councillor Keith Martin </B></FONT><B>     |   </B><A HREF="novimnutes.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November Meeting Minutes 2006"><U>November Meeting Minutes 2006</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="signageforquayagreed.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Quay Signage to be upgraded"><U>Quay Signage to be upgraded</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="roadrulingdisapointment.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Disappointment at Bord Pleanala ruling"><U>Disappointment at Bord Pleanala ruling</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="recyclingchargesinmayo.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recycling Charges a backward step"><U>Recycling Charges "a backward step"</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><B>Stop this road campaign await Bord’s decision</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="breastcheckpr.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Labours Breastcheck campaign in Westport"><U>Labour's Breastcheck campaign in Westport</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>   ·   </B></FONT><A HREF="woodsplant.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Northwoods replanting"><U>Northwoods replanting</U></A><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial Black" ><I><B><U> </U></B></I><A HREF="news21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U><I><B><U>Back to news page</U></B></I></U></A></FONT></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="1cb4c5e0.jpg" border=0 width="76" height="94" ALT="Cllr Keith Martin of Westport Town Council, Westport, Mayo. www.votekeithmartin.com visit politicalquote.blogspot.com" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Stop this road campaign await Bord’s decision</I></div> <bR> <div> Cllr Keith Martin of the “Stop this road” committee says that An Bord Pleanala will make a ruling on Monday 16<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> October as to whether or not the controversial plan to run an access road over and adjacent to the Railway Line Walk requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). </div> <bR> <div> Cllr Martin says that An Bord Pleanala was contacted following the decision of Westport Town Council to proceed with the plans at the June meeting of the council. While a Part 8 planning application by a local authority cannot be appealed to An Bord Pleanala, the Bord does have the power to oversee and even compel local authorities to carry out Environmental Impact Statements in relation to projects such as roads. </div> <bR> <div> The Labour councillor explains that “after being contacted and made aware of the council’s plans and the lack of an Environmental Impact Statement for the 8-metre-wide road which will pass over and down alongside the Railway Line Walk, An Bord Pleanala decided to investigate the planned road and bridge to see if an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should have been carried out by Westport Town Council.”</div> <bR> <div> Cllr Martin says he “welcomes the Bord’s investigation and awaits its decision which, if it goes against the council, will have serious ramifications, financial and political and could mean the abandonment of the project altogether. There can be not doubt of the value of the Railway Line Walk or of the terrible effect this proposed road will have on the wildlife and amenity value of the area. If the Bord orders an EIA to be undertaken then the public will have a chance to make submissions on the project and those submissions, I can assure you, will not be ignored as the original ones were in 2001. If an EIA is ordered I think it is unlikely that the road will go ahead as planned and I predict it will force the council to examine the alternatives.”</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>