Cork County Council has granted Irish Water/Ward & Burke a licence for the total closure of the R610 (Cork Street) to lay a 90 metre stretch of sewer around the Passage West library.  The area to be dug is the yellow one in the picture below. It has been granted for 4 weeks.

When this work is complete, the sewer-laying will move into the greenway (green area above) for three weeks.  The greenway will not be accessible during this time.  Three more road closure applications will be submitted to complete the works on the Cork Road in Passage West.  The light blue, pink and grey ones will all be total road closures whilst the dark blue one will be a partial road closure, i.e. single lane flow permitted with lights.

The road closure licence is based on the contractor’s commitment to working 7 days a week and 12 hour days and has the following conditions attached:

1. A public meeting is to be held with all interested stakeholders to give a detailed briefing on the overall plan to complete works in Passage/Glenbrook. No further closures on the R610 will be granted until after this meeting has been held and a full programme of works has been submitted.

2. No road closures will be granted on the R610 after 31st October 2018 to allow Passage West to recover trade for the Christmas season.

3. Any remaining road closures after this date required on the Cork Road or Glenbrook to be planned to coincide with school holidays/mid term breaks.

4. Working Hours to be agreed with Area Office prior to road closure.

5. Full width road reinstatement is required for the full extent of this and all future road closure applications required for the completion of the works.

6. A road opening licence must be applied for to cover the planned works.

7. Traffic lights are to be used on the L2475 (Back road) outside of contractors working hours. During working hours traffic on the road is to be controlled using a Stop go system.

8. The applicant will need to survey the L2475 (Back road) to assess any areas of overhanging branches/hedges that may impact on traffic and any areas of hedge cutting/verge cutting as required for road safety / sight distance at junctions and these are to to be cut back as necessary subject to compliance with Wild Life Act and land owners agreement. This needs to be done before the road closure is put in place. This is to be monitored at regular intervals during the road closure.

9. The applicant is to put in place a system to regularly monitor the L2475 surface condition during the closure. If there are potholes on the route these are to be repaired immediately during the closure period.

10. The applicant will need to put in place a daily check system to ensure the road condition and signage in place on both the official diversion route and local routes are in order.

11. No HGV’s are to use the L2475 (Back road). Signage to be put in place signifying route for HGV’s.

12. Full engagement with Businesses in Passage West to assist with difficulties in trading associated with this Closure. This is to include advertisements in Local press/Social media as well as agreed signage.

13. Provide details of the revised bus arrangements for the Passage West service including revised routes and shuttle bus arrangements. Confirmation of engagement with Bus Eireann should be provided at least one week before closure to begin.

Irish Water/Ervia has issued an information brochure on arrangements for access during this coming four week period.  It can be accessed here: FAQ on Cork Street Road Closure_Update 2

They have also organised a public information session tonight, 10th August, 6.30-8.30pm at the PACE Centre, Passage West.  It is expected to address both further details of arrangements during the upcoming closure and an overview of the future total closures that may be expected both on Cork Street and in Glenbrook.

The Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) has a brand new centre at Herons Wood, Carrigline which has excellent facilities and is offering a range of courses for the 2018/19 academic year.  All are detailed on the course brochure which you will find at the following link:

CETB brochure

RE:  Objection to the application made to Cork County Council for the temporary closing of the R610, Passage West for construction of a foul sewer pipe from 06.00 h Monday 13^thAugust 2018 to 06.00 h Friday 7^thSeptember 2018 (24 hour closure), Toureen House – Passage West library

The following petition was sent from the people of Passage West and Monkstown to Cork County Council in objection to the   application for the temporary closing of the R610, Passage West for construction of a foul sewer pipe from 06.00 h Monday 13^thAugust 2018 to 06.00 h Friday 7^thSeptember 2018 (24 hour closure), Toureen House – Passage West library.

Because of the short time period allowed for submissions, this petition was available for signing in the town centres of Passage West and Monkstown for only 24 hours. Nonetheless, even in that short time, it allowed 688 people the opportunity to express their objection to the proposed total road closure.  The reason for that objection was set out in the cover page:

Although we are a harbourside town and we welcome the cleaning up of Cork Harbour, this is the second time within a month that total closure of the R610 has been proposed to facilitate the installation of sewers. The first time, the proposed closure was from Glenbrook – Lucia Place for a period of two months.  We strongly opposed it and it was withdrawn.  A rethink was promised.  This proposed closure is the first part of what would be an even longer closure of the Cork Road.  We equally vehemently oppose this proposed road closure.

1. The combination of total road closures proposed for the Cork Road would seriously impinge on the everyday lives of residents and would have a catastrophic impact on the viability of businesses, particularly in Passage West town centre.
2. The combination of total road closures proposed for the Cork Road is likely to be even longer than that previously proposed for Glenbrook – Lucia Place.  
3. No information has been presented on the expected Glenbrook – Lucia Place closure. It is impossible for businesses and residents to evaluate the full impact of these proposed total road closures unless they are presented holistically.  The likely reality is that the two total road closures could span a collective 4 – 6 months.
4. The impact of any prolonged total road closure on business is far longer than the period of the closure itself. What is proposed in these road closures would close several businesses in Passage West town centre entirely and would catastrophically impact on all others.
5. There is much concern that the advertised 18 km alternative route for emergency vehicles could place lives and property at risk.
6. The 223 is the only public bus route through Passage West/Monkstown. The alternative proposed shuttle bus arrangements are unsatisfactory and would prohibit the bus from use as a reliable form of transport. 
7. The alternative route identified involves travelling the temporary road surface laid by Ward & Burke from Monkstown through Raffeen to the N28. Its poor quality has a costly and detrimental effect on vehicles.
8. Neither the surface nor the width of our local roads could accommodate the diverted local traffic which would inevitably use them to avoid the 18 km advertised alternative route.
9. Many working in the Ringaskiddy Strategic Employment Area commute through Passage West/Monkstown so as to avoid congestion on Carr’s Hill.The impact on the wider road network of forcing all commuting traffic through the Shannonpark roundabout has not been considered.
10. A total road closure such as is being suggested for the R610 through Passage West would effectively shut down any town and is an entirely unprecedented proposal.

For over a year we have lived with significant inconvenience to accommodate the laying of sewers.  We have tolerated the inconvenience because we understand the benefits of the Lower Harbour drainage scheme.  Our town cannot withstand the burden of what is now proposed.  We need more time so that businesses can employ expert engineering and legal advice.  We need Ward and Burke/Ervia to use every resource to achieve real reductions in the length of time for which these total closures are proposed. Failing those deliverables, we call for Ervia/Irish Water to return to the planning process to seek approval for an alternative route by which the sewer can be brought through Passage West – a route that will keep the R610 open.

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It doesn’t matter how many times I have counted these, I keep getting a different number!

Well done everyone!

Petition re road closure

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This is a link to my own objection:

Submission – total road closure, 20-06-2018

Great that the following Youth Club grants have been approved by the ETB Youth Committee this week …

2018 ETB Youth Club grants approved