A deputation from Conna Community Council attended the November meeting of the Fermoy Electoral Area Committee (FEAC) of Cork County Council to voice their concerns with regard to traffic and speed through the village and to request that works be done to address the dangers.
Senior executive engineer, Brendan O’Gorman had a report on the issues they’d highlighted for FEAC members at their December meeting.
On the issue of speed through the village, he said that, as per all their regional and local primary roads, the route has already been risk assessed in terms of road surface condition, footpath condition and pedestrian needs, public lighting, background speeds, drainage problems and future planning of the village. There is no funding currently for stand-alone traffic calming in the division outside of the Low Cost Accident Scheme funding and, to a lesser extent, the Restoration Improvement Programme funding, he told members.
FUNDING DEPENDENT
Regarding road surface condition, he told them there are no plans for resurfacing Conna’s main street in the next three years. Pointing to the major water scheme upgrade taking place over the next six months he said there will be a maintenance period at the end of it for all trenches associated with it to be reinstated. He envisaged the main street being resurfaced in 2017 and that some traffic calming or ramps could be installed then. It would all be subject to the necessary funding being in place. He advised that there is €40,000 earmarked for the Castle Cross to the Nursing Home entrance this year and permanent ramps would form part of the resurfacing contract, but only for that route.
A low cost scheme was identified last year for the footpath at Castle Cross junction. It is proposed to extend footpaths and provide a defined crossing location, possibly with railings, and to create build-outs for further definition. Works will remove specific risks to pedestrians at that location, as well as improving the sightline for turning vehicles, the engineer told members. It is hoped to have the scheme approved for funding within the 2015/2016 period.
Only a very small scale footpath renewal can take place generally as they have no sources of funding for footpath repair, he explained.
IMPROVEMENTS
At English’s supermarket in the village the existing double yellow markings will be renewed shortly and new cross hatching created to encourage people not to park close to the blind junction. The hedge to the west of the school road junction on the R628 will be trimmed back shortly to improve visibility.
Over the bridge at its narrowest point, it is proposed in the short term to install new signage indicating ‘pedestrians on the road’ and ‘road narrows’ signage. A new red coloured surfacing indicating pedestrian usage will be put on the eastern side of the bridge after the new water scheme is completed.
The engineer also signalled his intention to write to Glennon Brothers’ transport manager advising them of villagers speed concerns and to write to Garda HQ requesting increased Garda visibility, detection and enforcement through the village and approach roads. Some background speed checks are also to be requested.
The provision of lighting on the school road is a matter for the public lighting section of the council, he advised, but he warned that there is no funding available for it at present.
REACTION
In response to the report, Councillor Noel McCarthy said he appreciated that there are funding problems, but he hoped that money could be found to resurface the main street before 2017. Going forward, ramps would be best to slow traffic down, he said.
Cllr. Frank O’Flynn welcomed the report and in particular, the news that a defined crossing is to be put at the Castle Cross junction.
Cllr. Kevin O’Keeffe queried the proposed footpath works at the Castle Cross junction, but he was told the only funding the council has is in their low cost scheme or their roads restoration scheme.
