Call for suspension of proposed N9/N10 Kilcullen-Waterford motorway |
Estimated 500 people pack hall to prepare for looming battle |
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October 23rd 2001 An estimated 500 people attended a meeting of the N9/N10 Unified Group in Clara, Co. Kilkenny on Monday October 22nd, just one week following the announcement of the preferred route. It was standing room only. The purpose of the meeting was twofold: 1. To bring people up to a common level of knowledge regarding the general national motorway project and in particular regarding the Waterford Kilcullen proposed motorway. 2. To progress the organisation of the N9/N10 Unified Group Many of those present had attended meetings organised by CaST and the IFA during the previous week. Not a single person spoke in favour of the motorway. It was recollected that the government had decided to build the motorways despite no such recommendation being made by the National Roads Authority, the statutory body established for the purposes of deciding what roads were needed and delivering these same roads. A Cabinet Committee chaired by An Taoiseach Mr. Ahern and including the Tanaiste Mary Harney and several of the most senior politicians in government decided to build the motorways despite the absence of justifying traffic engineering data or any evidence that a motorway project of such enormous magnitude would bring prosperity to the regions. It was accepted that the Waterford Kilkenny motorway needs upgrading but the recommendation of the National Roads Authority National Roads Needs Study which advised the building of the minimum number of new motorways, the maximum utilisation of existing road stock and the bypassing of towns and villages, would be a preferable solution. It was pointed out that road builders and engineers exist to serve the needs of society. Society does not exist to turn over its land to be ploughed under just to maximise the profit of road builders and engineers. The system whereby the more the motorway costs, the more fee income the consulting engineers earn was explained. In the UK under the Land Compensation Act 1973, people whose property was not acquired but who were adversely affected by a range of factors such as depreciation, noise etc, could claim compensation but in Ireland such people would get absolutely nothing. And all this despite our CPO legislation having a common origin in acts passed in 1845 and 1919. A major trap for landowners exists in the CPO legislation that could have the effect of freezing lands indefinitely. This is because there is no time limit within which Notice to Enter must be served following service of Notice to Treat unlike in the UK where a 3 year time limit exists. The case of a person on whom Notice to Treat was served in 1974 and today 27 years later, Notice to Enter has still not being served was mentioned. The effect of this is that the price of the land is set at the date of Notice to Treat but interest does not accrue to the landowner until the Notice to Enter has been served. This could be decades later. The organisation was advanced by a registration process covering both members whose lands are to be confiscated and all other members who were or intended to join individual cells or groups along the entire length of the proposed motorway route. The Unified Group would affiliate to Campaign for Sensible Transport (CaST) and thus have available to it the resources of the national group. The individual cells would assign delegates to the group. A workshop is planned for to take place in the near future when the establishment of the individual cells has concluded. The strategy to beat the motorway is three pronged; political, procedural and legal. Next year is election year. A policy statement will be decided by the members in this regard at the appropriate time. The motorway will be fought procedurally, in a democratic, legal and peaceful manner, in every parish, every farm and every field. A policy of non-cooperation is effectively in place. Nothing will be done that could be used to accelerate the progress of the motorway. Copyright © Campaign for Sensible Transport 2001 |