by Cllr Sharon Tolan
What a month November turned out to be for East Meath!
- Car Free Beaches made permanent
- Seafield Footpath & Cycleway begins construction
- Part 8 Planning begins on Donacarney footpath & cycleway
- Fairer Fares Campaign begins in earnest
- Tender awarded for Bettystown Library & Community Facility
- Minister Heather Humphries announces almost €40k funding for Laytown Riverside Park
- Festive lights funding for Bettystown, Laytown, Julianstown, Duleek, Slane & Lobinstown
- Meath County Council provides 30ft tree for Bettystown
- Tidy Towns Awards
And that’s just a brief synopsis of more great progress in East Meath.
Donacarney Footpath & Cycleway Part 8 Planning
It has been a lot of years in the planning, but with the commitment of funding from the NTA, and a lot of pressure from myself and colleagues, we have at last put the Part 8 Planning Application on display for the new Donacarney Footpath and Cycleway Scheme. This will connect Bettystown and Donacarney and provide a desperately needed safe and sustainable transport measure for students attending school there, but also for the many people who like and want to walk from Donacarney to their nearest shops etc. I will continue to keep the pressure on to deliver this scheme as quickly as possible, and ensure there are no further delays. Please bear in mind that following planning being granted, tender documents must be prepared and processed. As with all schemes, there are no magic fairies to deliver it overnight and there is no way to construct it without some significant disruption so please be patient with any delays that may be caused during construction….it will be worth it in the end!
Laytown Riverside Park – Minister Humphries awards almost €40k ORIS Funding
I was delighted to receive the news at the end of November that Meath County Council had been successful in their application for funding under the Project Development strand of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme that is managed by Minister Heather Humphries in the Department of Rural & Community Development. I have been supporting the provision of a new park in Laytown for many years now and this brings us one step closer to delivering that goal. We have such untapped potential all along our Meath coastline, and I will continue to work on delivering further improvements for locals and visitors. My local colleague Cllr Tom Behan and I will work closely to ensure the best facility is delivered for the area.
Seafield Footpath & Cycleway Scheme
By now in this article, you can probably see a trend….I am determined to deliver safe and sustainable travel routes for pedestrians, cyclists and by doing so ensuring travel times for those that have to use their car, is reduced by less traffic on our roads. This scheme has begun construction following funding awarded in the July Stimulus Programme. It will mean that those using the sporting facilities at Seafield, along with walkers and Pitch & Putt participants, will have a safe footpath and cycle path from Laytown bridge to the carpark at the pitches. The works also include kerbing and drainage and hopefully will be completed by Christmas!
Fairer Fares Campaign
By now you may be aware of my commuter campaign. I am asking you to HELP ME HELP YOU, by making a submission to the National Transport Authority during their public consultation for the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042. I know that we have been calling for this for years, and nothing changes, but this is a real opportunity for us to show PEOPLE POWER and deliver as many submissions as possible calling on the NTA to deliver a fairer fare structure for Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda. The high costs involved in using our train service are keeping people in their cars and this is not helping our Climate Action Plan. Please get involved, it will only take a few minutes to make a submission which can be done online. More details in the centre pages of the Meath Coaster and on my social media platforms.
I have so much more to tell you all, but unfortunately I have a limited amount of space, so keep an eye on my Facebook Page, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts to stay up to speed on what’s happening and what I’m working on for you! As always, just get in touch if you need help or would like to raise an issue with me.
Wishing you all a Safe and Happy Christmas! Mind yourselves and look out for each other. Sharon x