Fury erupts among locals over Newgrange bridges work

A major row has erupted between residents of McDonnell's Lane, near Newgrange, and the OPW over recent works at the river crossing at the Bru na Boinne centre. The work at the 15 year-old pedestrian bridges was suspended as Meath County Council sought clarification on the planning status of the works. Angry local residents have accused the OPW of dumping loads of gravel on a flood plain and creating a huge mess in a protected area, where local residents find it virtually impossible to get planning permission. However, the OPW has warned that future access to the Bru na Boinne Centre would be under threat if the work does not continue and said that the bridges, which carry 250,000 pedestrians each year, are unsustainable in their current condition. Local resident Joe McDonnell, who lives on the lane, said the OPW had come with bulldozers into the core area of the World Heritage Site without any consultation with local people. "The first we knew of the work was when we saw the big lorries coming with gravel. They have covered a quarter of an area of a flood plain with gravel and stone and made a builder's yard out of a field by the river," he said. "They have made a terrible mess and the work may affect the flood plain." He added: "They should have constructed those bridges at the OPW yard in Trim and then put them in place. They certainly haven't shown much respect for the World Heritage Site, but residents around here cannot do anything." Gabriel Mullen, chairman of the consultative group which was set up to as part of the process of bringing in a new management plan for the area, said that all consultation between local residents and the OPW had ceased last November. "We have had no communication from the OPW since November and this work just started without any contact with residents," he said. He added that the effect of the World Heritage Status on the local community was enormous and there had been no financial gain to the local community. He said that while the OPW could go in and create such a mess, a local man who built a fence around his farmyard was threatened with court action by Meath County Council. Residents of the area were to meet last night (Tuesday) to discuss the situation. Cllr Wayne Harding said he was shocked at the level of excavation that had occurred at the bus pick-up point at the Bru na Boinne Interpretive Centre. "I was astounded that huge cast concrete blocks had been placed in what seems to be an effort to erect a temporary pedestrian bridge. There was two earth-movers on site and tonnes of stone filling had been poured. This is in an area of extraordinary protection where even the smallest of house renovations tend to require archaeological surveys and visual impact statements," he said. "It beggars belief that the people bestowed with the running and upkeep of the site would not endeavour to work to the same extraordinarily high standard," he added. A spokesperson for Meath County Council said it was consulting with the OPW, seeking clarification on the planning status of the works and that the OPW had suspended works on the site in the interim. A spokesperson for the OPW said that, as the works are on State-owned lands, which are only accessed by visitors, there was no requirement to give notice to landowners and the farmer who holds a grazing agreement on the State-owned lands was informed and was fully aware of the impact of the works. A statement issued by the OPW explained that an inspection of the 15-year-old bridges revealed structural weaknesses and OPW Engineering Services was tasked with project managing the replacement of those elements of the bridges that require replacement or repair. "Approximately 250,000 walk across these bridges annually. That equates to a half million people when the return journey is taken into account. Works to the suspension bridge will result to visitor disruption. A decision was taken to erect a temporary pedestrian bridge alongside the suspension bridge while repair of that structure was underway. Concrete blocks and hardcore are to form part of this temporary structure. All of the materials brought on site will be fully removed at the end of the project," the statement said. The statement claimed the works would not cause any risk to the floodplain and it was expected that a solution would be found. "The long-term use of the bridges in their current condition would not be sustainable. In the unlikely event of the bridges being closed to pedestrians, numbers of visitors to Newgrange monument and Knowth would be severely restricted," the OPW added.