Roadworks misery leaving councillors in the firing line

A MOTION seeking improved communication around road opening licences sparked a wide-ranging debate but was not agreed at a recent meeting of Meath County Council, with councillors highlighting growing frustration among residents, schools and businesses affected by unannounced road works.

The motion, submitted by Independent Ratoath Cllr Yvonne Everard, called on the Chief Executive to require applicants for road opening licences to notify local councillors at least seven days in advance of proposed works in their area where traffic restrictions such as stop-go systems or one-way traffic are planned.

It was the second time a proposal seeking improved notification around disruptive roadworks had come before the council, following a similar motion submitted last year by Sinn Féin Cllr Helen Meyer.

Introducing the motion, Cllr Everard said councillors are routinely left dealing with public anger over traffic disruption without having been informed in advance.

“Councillors receive numerous calls from residents and road users complaining about being late for work, school appointments and other commitments,” she said. “We then have to make numerous calls ourselves just to find out exactly what’s going on.”

She said advance notice would allow councillors to advise applicants of school hours, half days or major local events, and to help residents plan alternative routes.

“Proper communication keeps everyone happy,” she said. “Safety is paramount, and local knowledge can help ensure the right traffic management is put in place.”

Speaking after the meeting, Sinn Féin Cllr Helen Meyer said the failure of the motion meant residents would continue to face disruption without warning.

“When residents have prior knowledge of disruptive roadworks, they can make alternative arrangements such as working from home, starting work earlier or later, choosing different routes, arranging childcare or rescheduling appointments,” she said.

She said residents expect their local representatives to be informed when major disruption is planned.

“Residents look to their local elected representatives to be kept informed when roadworks that cause major traffic backups come to their town,” she said. “There has to be a better way to notify people about pending roadworks that result in sitting in traffic jams that add hours to a person’s working day.”

Cllr Meyer said traffic disruption also affects public transport, noting that buses can bypass towns where roadworks delay schedules.

“Traffic disruption has an enormous impact on the daily lives of local residents,” she said, adding that people are left “standing at bus stops” when services are diverted.

She said councillors were told by officials that approximately 2,500 road opening licences are processed annually in Meath and that passing localised information to councillors would involve significant additional work.

“This second motion asked that the applicants for the road-opening licences notify councillors, but we were told the council cannot compel them to do so,” she said.

Cllr Meyer also said the Chief Executive had told the meeting that the scale of the housing crisis would inevitably lead to disruption.

“We were told the need to build houses will necessitate inconveniencing the public, and that people will just have to deal with it,” she said.

Supporting the motion, Navan Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibín said improved notice would not necessarily eliminate frustration but would at least give people time to prepare.

“The more information people have, and the more advanced notice they get, the better,” she said.

Fine Gael Cllr Alan Tobin said the proposal should apply primarily to large or highly disruptive works, pointing to ongoing difficulties in Ashbourne where multiple road opening licences have operated simultaneously.

“There has been chaos in Ashbourne over the past nine months,” he said.

Responding to the debate, council officials said the processing of road opening licences is an executive function governed by national guidelines and cannot be amended at local authority level.