Council Update

Cllr Stephen Mckee

New Pedestrian Crossing For Harry’s Mornington

I have been informed by Meath County Council that work on the new Pedestrian Crossing at Harry’s Centra, Mornington will begin during August. I have been lobbying Meath County Council on this important safety issue for a while now alongside local residents so this is good news for the area.

The Pedestrian Crossing will be of benefit to many local families as well as residents and visitors to the Ozanam Home across the road. A large number of families in the area had contacted me with their concerns. There is currently no safe crossing along the Garra Road.

I will keep the pressure on to ensure the work is completed as soon as possible and I wish to thank Meath County Council for their support on this matter.

My Campaign For Beach-Front Parking At Bettystown Beach

It has been fantastic to be able to enjoy a car-free beach this Summer with my wife and 3 children. It has clear potential benefits for everyone and our local environment. It is also clear however that the Council ban on parking on Bettystown beach is flawed as suitable alternative parking is not currently in place.

I highlighted at our last local Area Council meeting that the proposed arrangement for parking at Coláiste na hInse would not work due to its distance from the beach and the inconvenience, particularly for families with young children with buggies etc, and also for the elderly and those with disabilities and special needs. This has proven to be the case. Unfortunately, cars continue to line both sides of the road up the Golf Links round and in and around Bettystown Square on busy beach days creating a serious road safety issue and a great nuisance for local residents. Signage is poor and both senior citizens and those with special needs and disabilities are not being properly looked after. There are similar parking problems up at The Crook, Mornington. The situation is not sustainable.

To resolve the issues to the satisfaction of all, I have proposed the following to Meath County Council:

1) That the Council retain a section of the beach to the right on entering Bettystown beach at Seaview for age friendly and disabled parking. I fully support the availability of age friendly and disabled parking on the beach.

2) That the Council develop the strip of land between the barber’s shop and the Convent on the Golf Links Road as the best possible site for beach-front parking onto Bettystown beach giving residents direct access from their cars to the sand. At my request, an ecological and feasibility report on the use of this site for beach-side parking is currently being carried out by Meath County Council. I have suggested that this area could also be used for parking for the new Library. The footpath already there would make it easily accessible. I have asked the Council to install boardwalks and public lighting to help solve at the same time the ongoing littering and anti-social behaviour problems at this location.

Proposed New Library & Community Building For Bettystown

Public Consultation has opened on the proposed new seafront Library & Community Building in Bettystown. It is proposed to open in 2022.

If approved, the 700 square metre Library will include a community meeting room, public library areas, meetings rooms, study and multi-purpose rooms, a lifeguard station and public toilets. The facility will also have disability changing space and will accommodate beach wheelchairs with ramp access onto the beach. The facility is planned to accommodate local civic, community and cultural events and will be a very important addition to the area.

As part of it, I am proposing that a business hub be included in the plans for the building.The new facility has the potential to not only be a place for community use but also as a base for local people in business who wish to avail of broadband, meet like-minded individuals and share ideas and support one another. I have already raised this point at Council level. With more and more people able and wishing to work from home, we need to do all we can to provide opportunities for local people to work locally. I would like to see space provided to start-ups and local SME’s to help such businesses start, scale and expand. There is opportunity to do something very creative with the new building.

I am aware of some issues that local people have raised with me, including car parking and I will be raising those concerns also in my own submission. I would encourage everyone to make their views own on this important infrastructure project for the coast.

Details of the project can be viewed on http://consult.meath.ie. Submissions or observations with respect to the proposed development may be made in writing to the Planning Department, Meath County Council, Buvinda House, Dublin Road, Navan, Co. Meath, C15 Y291 or by email to planning@meathcoco.ie on or before 4:00p.m. on Friday, 14th August, 2020. Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss the project.

New Bettystown – Laytown ‘Spine’ Road

I am delighted that work on the long-awaited Spine Road in Bettystown will begin on Tuesday, August 04th next. The road will be pedestrian and cycle friendly and the scheme will include car parking adjacent to the Parochial Hall and Scoil Oilibheir Naofa Junior Primary School in Laytown.

The Link Road is a crucial piece of infrastructure for the area and is long overdue. Road safety is a huge concern to parents of children attending the local schools and the present situation is neither acceptable nor sustainable. This is really good news for the area to have this project finally started.

Boyne Greenway

Meath County Council have submitted their plan for the new Boyne Greenway pedestrian and cycleway from Drogheda – Mornington to An Bord Pleanala. Following representation I made on behalf of local residents on Tower Road and the Crook, Council planners have made some changes to the project including amending the end point to reduce impact on the dunes at Mornington, the car parking arrangement at Mornington Court and a reduction in levels at various points along the route to reduce the proposed boardwalk structures and visual impact.

I fully support the project and the potential it has as an important local recreational and tourist route. It is important too that the project commands the support of those who live along its route and who will be directly impacted by it. I believe further modifications should be made particularly along Tower Road where residents are concerned about losing parts of their front gardens and boundary walls amongst other issues.

Plans and particulars of the proposed development can be viewed between July 27th and September 11th at the following locations:

Planning Section, Meath County Council, Buvinda House, Navan, County Meath C15Y291

Duleek Civic Offices, Main Street, Duleek, County Meath A92R9KW

Submissions and observations may be made free of charge to An Bord Pleanala and must be received before 5.30pm on Friday, September 11th 2020 in writing to An Bord Pleanala, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1.

New Footpath/Cycleway Between Donacarney National Schools And Bettystown Cross

We were informed by Meath County Council at our last Council meeting that the bat survey has been completed. A final report is due and work is expected to begin over the coming months. I am awaiting the detail specification on the route to ensure it meets the approval of residents along the road. As a past-pupil of the school, this issue has been a priority for me over the last few years, so I am pleased that this project will shortly commence. It is vital that the work is done as soon as possible to ensure that children can get to school safely and that residents of Donacarney can access Bettystown by foot or bicycle safely also.

New Bus Stops For The Golf Links Road

Meath County Council have prepared a scheme for the provision of bus stop facilities at three locations on the Golf Links Road consisting of 6 separate bus stop facilities and associated pedestrian facilities (3 on either side of the road). The plans of the proposed scheme are available to view online at consult.meath.ie Representations in relation to the proposed works, may be made in writing to the Road Authority as follows: The Director of Services, Meath County Council, Planning Department, Buvinda House, Dublin Road, Navan, Co. Meath C15 Y291 or emailed to planning@meathcoco.ie on or before 5:00p.m. on Wednesday, 19th August, 2020.

Further Information

You can call, text or WhatsApp me directly on 086 0432760 or should you prefer, email me at stephenmckeeff@gmail.com or through Facebook at Cllr Stephen McKee. I am able to provide all state documents/applications via email and WhatsApp. Take care, Stephen.