SEVERAL landowners in the Skibbereen area were surprised last week to find letters about  sections of the proposed West Cork Greenways hand delivered to their properties, without meeting anyone.

In one case a farmer found a letter on the wet floor of his milking parlour with no idea who had delivered it or when it was dispatched.

In another instance a couple saw a car outside their property and when they left to do some errands they found a letters at their property on their return.

The letters were seemingly hand-delivered to numerous property owners relating to the emerging preferred route corridor for the proposed greenway.

In a letter seen by The Southern Star, the landowner was told that based on the current assessment by West Cork Greenways, his property lies within the ‘emerging preferred corridor.’

It went onto to say that they wish to meet with that property owner before the next stage of public consultation.

It is understood that council staff delivered these letters themselves and many landowners are querying why they weren’t just posted to them.

Cork South West TD and Independent Ireland party leader, Michael Collins, said it’s clear that Cork County Council hasn’t learned a lesson when it comes to communicating with landowners about proposed greenways.

He said it seems that the same mistakes are being made by Cork County Council as happened with the Cork to Kinsale Greenway and queried why they thought it was right to drop off letters at various farms without even meeting the landowners concerned or even handing them the letters.

‘One letter found on the floor of a milking parlour was covered in water and that is surely not the way to inform people. They should be organising it locally with a community group and sit down with them and discuss it with them and not just hand out letters to these landowners.

He added that even if it was landed into the letterbox it is still the wrong way to go about it.

He also advised landowners that under no circumstances they should leave anyone on their private property but to talk to them.

‘I’m all for walkways but I’m disagreeing with the process and why don’t they look at how other walkways like the Sheep’s Head were implemented which were done through the community and without the threat of CPOs (Compulsory Purchase Orders).

He added that the whole consultation process is flawed and is causing huge mental stress for people who have received these letters, who fear their farms could be split if a greenway runs through it.

‘There can be a walkway from Skibbereen to Baltimore but it has to be done with proper consultation and along a roadside and not through peoples’ farms.’

Both Cork County Council and West Cork Greenways were contacted for a comment.