Mixed reactions to Section 38 notices from Naas councillors following special meeting

Two Section 38s were noted by Kildare county councillors present at a special Naas Municipal District (MD) meeting, to mixed reception.

The MD meeting took place this morning at around 11am, during which councillors were asked 'to note Section 38 of the Road Traffic, Act 1994 - Naas to Sallins Greenway – Abbey Bridge to Osberstown Bridge Scheme.'

According to irishstatutebook.ie, this section of the Act reads as follows: "A road authority may, in the interest of the safety and convenience of road users, provide such traffic calming measures as they consider desirable in respect of public roads in their charge. A road authority may remove any traffic calming measures provided by them under this section."

The original Section 38 plans can be viewed in full here.

Two main matters were discussed at the meeting: the first was to pull the Section 38 for the closure of the ramp in Sallins, and to stick to the Part 8 passed by the members, and the second was the Section 38 for the closure of the Canal Road.

The first matter was pulled by KCC, meaning the ramp will remain open until traffic management is addressed, while the second matter will go ahead, meaning the road will be closed.

Both matters were noted by councillors in attendance of the meeting.

FURTHER DETAILS

Speaking at the meeting was the Kildare County Council (KCC)'s Acting Director of Service - Transport, Mobility and Open Spaces, Celina Barrett.

Ms Barrett said: "We are here to recognise the decision of the members.

"There are traffic management and accessibility issues here which need to be addressed, and we need additional time to look at the measures.

She concluded by explaining that KCC will be closing the Canal Road: "As of today, we are no longer progressing the Section 38."

'THE RIGHT THING TO DO'

The decision was welcomed by Social Democrats Cllr Bill Clear, who remarked: "It is the right thing to do."

Independent Cllr Ger Dunne asked KCC to clarify if the Section 38 would be put on hold 'definitely or indefinitely.'

Ms Barrett replied: "We are not progressing it as advertised."

Mayor of the MD, Fine Gael Cllr Fintan Brett, commented: "It is good to see other things are being progressed [by KCC]."

Ms Barrett further said: "We have to be conscious that we are in a climate emergency, and we will struggle to meet climate goals.

"We have to start the process of supporting walking and cycling [in the MD]... we will have to make difficult decision in the future."

She added: "I know that there have been a significant number of submissions [of feedback] from locals on this, but this should be one of the easier decisions we can make."

Cllr Brett replied: "I hear what you are saying, however, my issue is that it goes out to the two junctions that are 'choc-a-bloc' in the morning time." 

He also suggested that KCC and his fellow councillors to engage in 'more communication' with locals to explain the council's decision.

Labour Cllr Anne Breen did not approve of KCC's decision.

She told KCC: "I am very unhappy with what's happening, and the locals aren't happy too."

"I am not going to support this," Cllr Breen added.

One local representative who was open to the scheme was Cllr Bill Clear of the Social Democrats. File photograph.

Cllr Clear entered the conversation again to say: "This is a very important [project] to me, but the area is just not safe [at present].

"There are four schools nearby, and it will be good for commuters and school children."

He added: "I use the area myself, and I think we should give it a go; it will be controversial, but the things that are controversial usually turn out to have the best impact."

Cllr Clear also said that he looked at the submissions, and that he 'could see where they are coming from' with their comments.

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'NO POWER'

Fine Gael Cllr Evie Sammon had this to say: "If this is a trial, should there be a temporary closure? Would the consultation portal be open for feedback? Also, would we get feedback from An Garda Síochána on this?"

She also said: "I have an issue that we are at a special meeting here on this, in which we [the councillors] have no power [over the decision being made]; we just have to note that."

Cllr Evie Sammon was one of the representatives who expressed her concerns over the announcement made at the meeting. File photograph.

Cllr Carmel Kelly said that she agreed with Cllr Sammon's assertions, adding: "I agree that, in the medium-to-long term, this will be a good thing to do, but it's a jigsaw at the moment, and the pieces are not coming in the right order."

Like Cllr Brett, she raised the issue of communication between the council and locals: "The days of people living by the local newspapers and radio are gone, we have to make the notices more accessible."

She also said that KCC needs to consider 'the knock-on effects': "It is an issue of the amount of cars and traffic going through the area."

In addition, like Cllr Clear, she noted that were situated nearby, but expressed concern about this: "We are going to move traffic on to the Sallins Road."

Cllr Kelly continued: "The Sallins Road is a different area at the moment; we have to make it safer for pedestrians if we are closing the canal way.

"I think that there should be a trial period."

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She also noted that the project had received a total of 137 submissions from the public for a six-month period.

Cllr Kelly argued that because the public have 'gone through a lot of trouble making the submissions', that KCC needs to listen to them.

Cllr Brett replied: "It's not a trial, it's a closure. A report will be due in January."

Cllr Kelly interjected: "We don't have the power though, Fintan. I don't understand it."

"If it's not working, we will have to change it, that's it," Cllr Brett said.

Cllr Seamie Moore then offered his view on the matter: "In the big picture, I am for this. But, there has to be some trust."

Cllr Moore further said: "My expectations have scattered; when it was heard that the trial period was not going ahead, we [the councillors] got all kinds of abuse about it on the doorsteps as a result."

He also told KCC that not everyone is going to look at notices posted on the council's official website, adding: "It's not good enough to [only] have them on there.

Cllr Moore also criticised what he called 'a dollop of misinformation in around seven to ten of the submissions' which he claimed made reference to false information about the project — "There was a gap there for some people to orchestrate the false information," he added.

"The trust factor is decreasing, and it's wrong," he said.

He added that he was puzzled at the intended plans regarding Basin Street and Abbey Street in the scheme.

Cllr Moore also said he wanted to 'admonish' Cllr Clear for certain comments he said about the project, claiming that Cllr Clear said it was 'a done deal': "We have to be careful about what we are saying on social media."

He also expressed concerns about potential increased traffic.

Cllr Dunne said: "We have no power here, we are just talking shop."

He also said he agreed with what Cllr Moore said regarding communication with locals.

Cllr Dunne also said: "The weekend closure is one thing, but the weekday is another... I think that it will discourage people in the town, and I don't think it's a good idea."

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ENGINEER'S COMMENTS

Donal Hodgins, an engineer with KCC who was present at the meeting, then spoke to the local representatives: "The Executive [in KCC] works within the policy framework. We do not dream up initiatives."

Commenting further on the scheme, he said: "In terms of cost effectiveness, it is within no doubt that it is cost effective."

"When it comes to accessibility, communication, reallocation of the space and compliance with climate action goals, this ticks all the boxes."

He continued: "There is inconvenience, but there are alternate routes via regional roads, such as the Caragh Road and Sallins Road."

Responding to Cllr Moore's comment about Basin Street, he said: "It was connected to the Newbridge Road, but it is not anymore."

He also assured the local representatives that the Section 38 process 'is not circumventing the powers that councillors have.'

Mr Hodgins continued: "Not all traffic will be diverted; all parents are concerned about safe, segregated routes for school, and this facility will improve the access to schools on the Sallins Road, as well as the one in Millennium Park."

"In terms of congestion: it is an issue for drivers, who make individual choices to drive at certain places at certain times. Congestion is to blame for congestion.

"We have to provide alternatives for motorists."

He further said: "If there is an initiative that the Executive brings forward, and there is an error, we will examine the situation."

Mr Hodgins acknowledged that the issue of communication was raised at other MD meetings, but added: "In the case of Abbey Street and Basin Street, leaflets were dropped... It is impossible to consult directly with 30,000 people, but we strive to do so, and we use all available channels."

Regarding submissions, he said that there was 'a satisfactory amount of issues raised in each submission.'

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

In the case of one of the schools, Cllr Kelly said voiced concerns that, for some parents, 'there is no alternative but to drive', and thus they would be affected in their school runs.

She said that public transport must be supplemented, but added that councillors 'are being inundated with people who can't get school bus places' for their children.

Cllr Brett said that he also wished to see more public transport, and criticised the Department of Transport: "The Department totally do their own thing, and the Minister (Eamon Ryan) needs to tell them to get their act together."

He added: "To be fair, if there are any issues, they will be looked at and as a councillor, I would bring it to a meeting in January."

As the meeting concluded, the councillors all announced that they noted the Section 38s from KCC.