Oral hearing for Slane Bypass due to start shortly

The long campaigned for Slane Bypass was also the recipient of funding with the allocation of €1million to the project which is expected to go to an oral hearing later this year.

Cllr Wayne Harding said he was delighted that the Slane Bypass was still high on the priority list for government spending and he complimented Meath County Council on the public realm plan that will be submitted alongside plans for the bypass.

The scheme will go on public display shortly and the project will be submitted to An Bord Pleanala in the second quarter of 2022.

BDP Urban Design and Landscape Consultants were appointed by the Planning Department of Meath County Council to produce a public realm strategy for Slane village centre.

According to the draft report the ambition of the public realm plan is to offer solutions to reorganise the street layout across the village and further to the south along Dublin Road to create a functional yet pleasant environment to move around, shop and interact.

The proposal includes the redesign of the junction on the square, the creation of a new village square, the general reorganisation of the two main roads crossing the village and creation of more pedestrian friendly and improved recreational connections along the southern approach to the village.

Cllr Harding said last week's allocation showed that work on the project is continuing. “The Slane Bypass is probably the most badly needed road project we have. “I am glad to see that it is now being progressed,” he said.

The bypass was also included in the recently announced National Development Plan.

“I know a lot of work has been done on it and Meath County Council is hoping to get it to Bord Pleanala in 2022,” he said.

Meanwhile funding of €250,000 was allocated to the N52 Ashbourne to Kilmoon Cross project.

Deputy Darren O'Rourke said that all of the funding allocated so far for both projects would not go anywhere near delivering them in the medium term.

“We will continue into 2022 fighting to have them prioritised,” he said.

Funding of €6 million was announced for phase two of the N51 Dunmoe project, which Senator Shane Cassells described “as another major infrastructure investment for the county.

“In total there is over €10m in funding allocated for roads projects in Meath which is hugely significant,” he said.