Kilkenny Council are being prevented from carrying out important works on the Abbey Road in Ferrybank because Waterford Council have not been forthcoming with the necessary approval.
As Acting Director of Services, Ian Gardner, told the Council meeting for the South Kilkenny District, “If one local authority wants to undertake work in another local authority’s jurisdiction, they need a section 85 agreement to allow them to do that.”
Speaking earlier in the meeting, Area Engineer, John Tennyson, explained the current situation.
“The Abbey Road and Belmont road are subject to URDF (Urban Regeneration and Development Funds) as part of those we are going to have cycle paths and footpaths on both roads, really the resurfacing should be the last thing.
“It doesn’t make any sense to resurface the road then follow on by putting new footpaths and cycle-ways, possibly taking up some of the road you have resurfaced. The URDF should happen first.
“…Nobody is debating that the road is in a substandard state. For proper procedure, the URDF should happen first, and once that happens the resurfacing will follow. Up until then we have to manage it with patching works.”
These comments came in response to Fine Gael’s, Pat Dunphy, who said the Abbey Road in particular was in bad condition, with reports of tyres being damaged. Cllr. Dunphy then asked when this work would be completed.
To which, Mr Tennyson, replied, “My update from that is we are waiting on a section 85 to be made with Waterford City Council. No progress is happening on that in the last couple of months.
“We need Waterford City and County Council to come to the table for progress on that scheme. I’ve given the same update the last couple of meetings, that we are still waiting for a section 85 send off.”
“Can we do anything?” asked Cllr. Dunphy. “With such a bad road there and getting worse all the time, I would be fearful that this is going to go on for a few years. That’s not good enough for anybody. You don’t know why they are not coming to the table?”
To this, Mr Tennyson, confirmed they had no explanation as to the delay. “We don’t know why. The Abbey Road is 25% in the Waterford Area, so there has to be an agreement there, but Kilkenny Council are leading the URDF.
“We are waiting for them, there has to be a joint sign-off. I don’t know what the reason is but it has delayed progression of that scheme. The idea from our point of view is that that the URDF should happen first, and the resurfacing should follow. That’s just good engineering practice.”
In closing remarks on the issue, Fianna Fáil Councillor, Ger Frisby, asked Kilkenny Council to write to their counterparts in Waterford City to drive the issue forward.
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
