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.

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.”

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. “People may still be inconvenienced, but at least they feel they’ve been notified.”

Fine Gael Cllr Alan Tobin said the proposal should apply primarily to large or highly disruptive works.

“Not every road opening license needs to be considered,” he said. “We’re talking about works that shut roads, create one-way systems and disrupt entire towns.”

Cllr Tobin pointed 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. “At one stage, crews had to be taken off the road because the traffic management was just all over the place.”

He said tailbacks of more than half a kilometre had become common, with negative impacts on businesses and daily life.

“Schools in Ashbourne start at staggered times to manage traffic, yet road opening licences were allowed to operate during school hours,” he said. “As councillors, we’re the ones getting it in the neck.

“It is having an effect on business activity, with people turning away from towns and villages at certain times because of continuous road works,” he said.

“It’s not too big an ask to be consulted when something is going to cause serious disruption.”

Ratoath Fine Gael Cllr Maria Murphy said the issue was particularly acute in urban and heavily trafficked areas.

“It’s really urban areas and areas that are highly trafficked, especially during peak times,” she said.

Responding to the debate, a senior council official said the processing of road opening licences is an executive function governed by national guidelines.

“The road licensing system is a national system and cannot be amended at local authority level,” the official said, referring to the Department of Transport’s Guidelines for Managing Openings in Public Roads.

They said Meath County Council processes more than 2,500 road opening licences annually, making it impractical to notify councillors of every application.

“It would be impractical, if not impossible, to notify councillors of each and every one of these,” the official said.

The official explained that licence start dates frequently change due to cancellations, rescheduling and contractor availability.

“You could receive notice on a Tuesday and the works might be due to start on Thursday, but then be cancelled or delayed multiple times,” they said. “That level of volatility makes a fixed seven-day notification difficult to guarantee.”

They added that where works are expected to have a significant impact on traffic, additional assessments and submissions are already sought, and that the Transportation Department and Customer Services team will continue to deal with councillors and members of the public on a case-by-case basis.