Fermoy has done well out of the new Community Involvement Scheme, announced this week, which will see residents in rural communities team up with their county council for road maintenance projects. The scheme is designed for very minor roads and cul-de-sacs.

All eight projects submitted by Cork County Council for the Fermoy electoral area, made it onto the approved list. They are Bride Road, Rathcormac, Joyce’s Boreen, Grange, Jones Boreen, Coolagown, Ardglare, Bridestown, Gortroche, Ballyhooly, Waterpark and Moydilliga.

Welcoming the announcement of the pilot scheme which has allocated over €160,000 for the eight area projects, Minister Sean Sherlock said the scheme is purely a voluntary one and is available to give local communities the opportunity to have these works completed where they would not normally be considered for funding. The allocations will be very welcome news to the residents of these areas and will allow communities have a direct input along with their local authority into local road maintenance.” In the normal course of events, the Minister explained, repairs to minor county road would only be considered towards the end of a county council’s road works programme after more heavily trafficked routes have been dealt with. Oftentime there is little or no money left to do them.

The funding will be allocated over a two-year period and is part of a national scheme that is being rolled out by the Department of Transport. The local contribution is fixed at 20%.

At the Fermoy Electoral Area Committee meeting in the town on Monday afternoon, Cork County Council senior executive engineer, Brendan O’Gorman advised members of the areas that had been approved. The council must next collect the local contribution of 20% to allow the works to commence. It’s planned to do them in the autumn. Members welcomed the news.