Enhancement works for north Mayo ‘wasteland’ put on pause as council awaits funding decision
Enhancement works planned for the embankment area near Ballina train station have been temporarily put on pause as the council awaits the outcome of a funding application.
The issue was first raised at a November meeting of the Ballina Municipal District, where councillors described the embankment as an “eyesore” and a “wasteland”, and asked what plans were in place to improve the look of the site.
They asked for a clear timeline for works to improve the appearance of the embankment along the Foxford Road.
Councillors voiced their concern that the site gives a poor first impression to those driving into Ballina from the Foxford direction, as it is the first thing they see when coming into the town.
At the time, officials indicated works were expected to begin in late February or early March.
However, those plans have since been put on hold after the council was advised earlier this year of an additional funding stream that could be suitable for improvement works at the site.
Ballina Municipal District architect, Emmet O'Donnell, told councillors that an application has since been submitted under a Nature-Based Solutions funding scheme.
He explained that, if approved, the additional funding would significantly enhance the scale and quality of works that could be carried out along the embankment.
Mr O’Donnell said the council is engaging with specialist consultants in relation to nature-based solutions for the area.
He said there is no confirmed date yet for funding announcements, and the council is currently waiting to hear if their application has been successful.
However, he told councillors that funding under this scheme needs to be drawn-down by November, so work will progress quickly if it is secured.
Cllr Marie Therese Duffy welcomed news of the funding application but asked whether the site could be cleared in the meantime.
Mr O’Donnell said no clearance works have taken place to date, and explained this was because it will be more effective to complete all work in a single phase, rather than closing off the area on two separate occasions.
“We don't want to use up money that could be better deployed for a more coherent solution,” he explained, adding that completing the work in one go would provide the best value for money.
He also said that traffic management measures would be needed along the Foxford Road while improvement works were being carried out, noting it would be preferable to put these in place once rather than twice
Noting the potential disruption to traffic and the likelihood of additional funding becoming available shortly, Mr O’Donnell said it made sense to streamline the works into a single programme.
He also highlighted the complexity of the site, explaining that clearance of it would not be as simple as it seems, due to its proximity to the river and the adjacent railway lands, which are owned by Córas Iompair Éireann.
“We need to be well informed about what we are doing before we go spending money and causing the disruption that will be caused in order to facilitate the works,
“Superfically it seems like an easy thing to clean up, but there is a high degree of complexity with carrying out work on that site, in terms of the characteristics and the location,” he said.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.