CLONDULANE RESIDENTS UP IN ARMS OVER CHILDREN'S SAFETY
“Make our community a safe place for our children to walk home from school.” A deputation from the Clondulane Residents Association made this plea to the members of Cork County Council as they gathered in Mitchelstown this week, writes Brian Moore. As the assembled councillors and other council officials arrived for the meeting of the Mallow/Fermoy area committee Gaye O’Doherty from Clondulane made her presentation.
“The people of Clondulane have seen a big change in their village over the past eight years, from what was then a village (hamlet) with a terrace of twenty houses and some scattered one-off houses plus a local school and a pub.
“They now have three new housing estates, one small estate comprising of 8 houses, and one estate of 45 houses and the other of 70 houses.
"While they have embraced the change and have welcomed the new people into the area, many resent the fact that, despite suffering the upheaval during the construction of these houses and the added traffic associated with these developments, nothing has been done to cater for the increased traffic through the village. We have a big issue about the safety of the children going to the local school.
"The lack of footpaths, pedestrian crossings, signage and traffic calming measures are a real concern for the people of Clondulane. The state of the roads in and around the village are a disgrace,” Gaye O’Doherty told the meeting.
She also pointed out that it was the community that had funded new signs for the village and had also paid for the maintenance of the green areas.
“All we want is safety for our children, traffic is travelling through the village at high speed and we need traffic calming measures and footpaths put in place urgently,” Ms O’Doherty said.
Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe (FF) agreed that traffic calming measures were needed and supported the residents calls for action from the council on this matter.
“It wouldn’t take much to make the village a lot safer and I would like to congratulate the community on the work that they have funded and carried out themselves,” Cllr O’Keeffe said.
Cllr Noel McCarthy, Mayor of Fermoy, supported that view, saying: “I would like to thank the residents for their presentation here today and for their pride in their village. At the very least, a footpath must be provided as a matter of urgency for the safety of the children going to school,” Cllr McCarthy said.
A decision will be announced concerning the proposed traffic calming, signs and footpaths for Clondulane at the next council meeting on November 10.
Published:
Thursday 15th October 6:23pm
