Demands for business plan for delayed Kildare relief road

There is no update on the completion of the Southern Relief Road, Great Connell, Newbridge, despite planning permission having been granted by An Bórd Pleanála in November 2023.

Cllr Noel Heavey (FF) told a meeting of Kildare-Newbridge municipal district that despite planning permission being granted for the project, a business plan had yet to be formulated.

Cllr Heavey called on the council to provide an update on the completion/submission of a business plan “necessary for the completion of the Southern Relief Road, Great Connell, Newbridge.”

Like many of his colleagues, he said, he was “very concerned” about the lack of progress for developing the ring road to include the second bridge at Newbridge.

The Fianna Fáil councillor said that traffic is very congested in Newbridge, particularly in the mornings when people are trying to get to school and to work, with the same problem occurring in the evening time.

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He said the town is “a very very difficult place.”

He said that while it is perceived that the development of the Southern Relief Road will help ease the traffic, it was “some years since this development got planning.”

Expressing his frustration, the councillor said: “It beggars belief to me...and I need it to be explained to me as a councillor for the people...I need to understand why a business plan hasn't been developed.”

Maybe there was “a good reason for it”, he offered, but he'd like to know what the reason is.

Offering his support for Cllr Heavey's motion, Cllr Chris Pender (SD) said he would be concerned “that in some ways we're putting all our eggs in one basket” with regards to the traffic in Newbridge, as the concerns he was hearing related to “the other side of the town.”

Cllr Tom McDonnell (IND) said there was a “serious” problem with the council with regard to funding, and that “there's no money for anything.”

“We can't get money for anything”, he said, “and government have the money, I don't know why you're not going to government for the money to support the council to get these jobs done.”

A council official, responding to councillors, said there was “no issue” in getting a business plan developed, and the council was in the process of developing one.

He pointed out that there is a large volume of projects that the council is progressing and that these are prioritised.

“As soon as I have it and it's submitted, I will give you an update”, the official told Cllr Heavey, adding “there's nothing more I can do, unfortunately, that's the process that we have to follow.”

A report issued by the council stated: “There has been no update since the previous motion on the subject.”