Northwoods to be replanted

<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="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Councillor Keith Martin "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="news21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U><I><B><U>Back to news page</U></B></I></U></A></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="07189bd0.jpg" border=0 width="137" height="189" ALT="Large photo Councillor Keith Martin" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Northwoods to be replanted</I></div> <div> Cllr Keith Martin attributes the re-planting of the Northwoods to the</div> <div> success of ‘people power’</div> <bR> <div> Cllr Keith Martin says, “this has been a long battle but it is</div> <div> finally at an end. It is wonderful to see ‘people power’ win in the</div> <div> end. The replanting of the woods is victory for the residents of the</div> <div> area and for myself personally. The carry-on over the woods was</div> <div> responsible for bringing me into politics and it is great to deliver</div> <div> on an election promise so soon after my election. The replanting of</div> <div> the Northwoods is due in no small way to Michael Murphy and the local</div> <div> people who kept the campaign going all this time.”</div> <bR> <div> The five-year-long campaign for the replanting of the Northwoods came</div> <div> to an end on Friday 11th March when Cathaoirleach Cllr Peter Flynn</div> <div> planted a tree as part of National Tree week. The tree is the first</div> <div> of a batch that will begin the replanting of the area behind the</div> <div> Pinewoods over the next three years. Cllr Flynn was accompanied by</div> <div> Cllr Keith Martin and Cllr Dave Keating, who as residents of the</div> <div> area, had campaigned strongly in recent years for the replanting.</div> <div> This campaign culminated with their election to the Town Council in</div> <div> June of last year as both Cllr Martin and Cllr Keating had made the</div> <div> replanting of the woods a policy of their election campaigns.</div> <bR> <div> The tree planting ceremony marks the end of a campaign by local</div> <div> residents lead by Michael Murphy former Chairman of the Pinewoods</div> <div> Residents association. Michael Murphy was the driving force behind</div> <div> this campaign and was responsible for proposing that the council</div> <div> apply for funding under the Neighbourhood wood scheme. This</div> <div> application has been preliminary approved and the replanting will</div> <div> begin shortly under the direction of Mayo County Council</div> <div> horticulturist Peter Gill who is renowned for his work in Westport</div> <div> for the Tidy Towns and Entente Floral competitions.</div> <bR> <div> Over five years ago residents campaigned for the retention of the</div> <div> Northwoods but the council had the area stripped in order to provide</div> <div> a meadow or green area. However this proved unpopular with residents</div> <div> and failed to attract people to use the green area. The cleared area</div> <div> also looked unattractive from a distance.</div> <bR> <div> Michael Murphy headed a five year campaign to have the woods</div> <div> replanted and was assisted by residents of the area such as Keith</div> <div> Martin, Dave Keating and the late Joe Berry RIP.</div> <bR> <div> When the re-development of the woods was first proposed Keith Martin</div> <div> took up a petition from neighbouring estates of nearly 200 signatures</div> <div> and presented them to the then Councillors in 1999. When this</div> <div> petition failed Cllr Martin worked closely with Michael Murphy and</div> <div> Dave Keating to keep pressure on the council and this has finally</div> <div> resulted in the announcement of the woods replanting programme.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>