Greens want ‘unspent funds’ used on new pedestrian bridge for Belgooly

A NEW pedestrian and cycling bridge at Belgooly has been called for by local Green representatives.

 Engineers for Cork County Council installed a pilot traffic light system at the narrow bridge in Belgooly that leads up to the school. This was to facilitate safer pedestrian traffic which has to negotiate the narrow Aghafantaun bridge and it’s busy vehicular traffic. 

 Local Green party area representative Marc O’Riain has called on the Council to consider building a dedicated pedestrian bridge which could also facilitate cyclists. This would become a linking element to a continuous walkway from Riverstick to Belgooly.

‘Community groups, such as Belgooly Walkers, have highlighted the opportunities that exist in this area for more active travel solutions. Our government is providing unprecedented funding for this.

‘These solutions would create more and safer travel routes for pedestrians and cyclists between the population centres of Riverstick, Belgooly and Kinsale. Our school children could avail of these.’

The proposals, he said, formed part of Future Kinsale’s submission on cycle routes in 2021. 

‘Part of the core infrastructure to facilitate such routes would include a pedestrian bridge across the River Stick beside the Aghafantaun Bridge. Our Council is aware of this already. The Green Party have previously offered sketches of such a proposed bridge during Covid.’ 

He said that given what he called ‘the amount of unspent funding for active travel for 2022 and the increase in the active travel budget for Cork County Council for 2023, the Green Party are calling on the council to prioritise a submission for a dedicated pedestrian and cycling bridge to run in parallel with the Aghafantaun Bridge. 

‘We need a little bit more vision from our elected representatives and permanent executive when it comes to active travel in Cork Southwest. Towns like Riverstick, Belgooly and Kinsale are all earmarked for 40% increases in population over the coming seven years according to the new County Development Plan. 

‘We need to see some joined-up thinking in terms of active travel from the Council.’