News

Public will be asked to contribute to the upgrading of private roads

October 3rd, 2017 10:10 PM

By Southern Star Team

Share this article

Rural roads and laneways in West Cork are to be majorly upgraded as part of a government scheme – but road users will have to contribute to the works.

RURAL roads and laneways in West Cork are to be majorly upgraded as part of a government scheme – but road users will have to contribute to the works.

The local authority is to provide a substantial financial contribution to the works, while seeking some other assistance from the road users such as fencing, machinery hire or a financial contribution from each road user. 

The project will be delivered as part of a government scheme which had been closed for some time for financial reasons.

Junior Minister Jim Daly confirmed that this funding will be offered to residents’ groups who have previously expressed an interest in availing of assistance from the Council to repair and upgrade the roads which access their property, but are not currently in public ownership. 

‘This scheme had been discontinued in recent years due to the financial crisis and lack of available funding. I am glad to see the Government is now in a position to re-open this important scheme to rural dwellers. The Council are currently in the process of contacting all interested parties across the county to confirm they are all still interested in progressing the upgrade of roads already identified, and the Council have informed me the response is very good so far.’ 

In all, €1m in funding has been secured for Local Improvement Schemes in Cork, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney.

He said: ‘The Government hasn’t been in a position to adequately fund the LIS scheme for the last number of years, but we made a commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government that we would reinstate the scheme.  

The scheme will be funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and will be delivered through the local authority.

‘The ability of people to access their own premises, a farmyard or a neighbour’s house is compromised when roads are in a bad state of repair. 

 ‘For emergency services, too, bad road surfaces can lead to delays in accessing sites and can damage their vehicles.’

Share this article