‘Accident waiting to happen’
Councillors have called for traffic calming measures to be included in all plans for new housing estates to tackle Cork county’s “enormous” speeding problem.
At Monday’s full meeting of the Council, members agreed that 30kmph speed limits introduced to estates around the county will have little impact unless physical measures such as chicanes and speed bumps are also put in place.
Councillors said it is counter-productive for the council to have to retrofit expensive traffic calming measures after an estate has been built, and all calming measures should be part of the planning process in the first place.
The safety of children at play in estates was at the forefront of concerns, with councillors representing municipal districts across the county saying that signs and speed limits are having little impact on residents’ peace of mind.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting, Fianna Fáil Cllr Seamus McGrath said those who drive in a reckless manner in estates are putting “the fear of God” into parents. “It is an enormous problem out there in residential estates. The 30kmph limit will have a negligible impact unless there are physical measures associated with it. Our ability to respond as a council to retrofit traffic calming is very limited,” said Cllr McGrath.
West Cork Independent Cllr Paul Hayes said in many cases it’s the residents themselves that are speeding. The cost of installing an individual speed bump after a housing estate has been completed can cost upwards of €3,000.
In a letter responding to the councillors’ calls, Michael Lynch, Director of Services, Planning Department at Cork County Council, said the Cork County Development Plan 2022 (CDP), which was recently finalised, contains a range of objectives to facilitate and promote calm traffic within new housing estates.
During the discussion, Independent West Cork Cllr Declan Hurley raised the issue of private, unfinished estates being out of the jurisdiction of Cork County Council.
He said he is very concerned about the safety of children living and playing withing these estates where the council is unable to implement any safety measures.
“I have a number of private estates in West Cork that are in this situation. We have no jurisdiction to put any safety measures into these estates and they are accidents waiting to happen,” said the councillor.
Several councillors also raised concerns over the connectivity of housing estates to nearby towns and villages.
Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Gillian Coughlan said: “Connectivity needs to be improved too. If we are really serious about modal shift, about walking and cycling, we need there to at least be footpaths and lighting.”