Questions over future traffic management at Naas junction
THE matter of traffic management at a location in Naas town centre has come under the microscope.
The area around St Corban’s lane and Murtagh’s corner (also known as Murtagh’s Cross or Sarah Flood’s Cross) is in the midst of a period of development.
The design of a scheme to implement a new road planned for Murtagh’s corner is being finalised currently. This was confirmed at the most recent meeting of Naas Municipal District after cllr Anne Breen brought forward a question regarding the matter on the meeting agenda.
In addition to this development, it is expected that work on a public car park at nearby Corban’s lane will conclude in the near future. 300 parking spaces are expected to be available at the location.
Alongside cllr Breen’s question, cllr Bill Clear also brought forward a question regarding the area of town at the meeting, asking the following.
“Can the council confirm whether any preliminary or strategic traffic management plan has been commenced for St Corban’s Lane, given the scale of development proposed and underway in the area including the shopping centre development, the Sarah Flood’s Cross scheme, the O’Brien site, and St Corban’s School?”
A report issued in response to cllr Clear’s motion by acting senior engineer in the capital projects team at Kildare County Council Daragh Conlon stated the following:
“The delivery of the Murtagh’s Corner junction was identified in the Naas Sallins Transport Strategy as one of the roads measures to be delivered. Traffic modelling was completed as part of this project to assess the impact of the new road on traffic flow once implemented.”
Mr Conlan’s report continued: “Traffic and transport assessments will be required as part of all planning applications for future developments along this road and these will be considered as part of the consenting process.”
The aim of the project to implement the new road at Murtagh’s corner is to take traffic out of Naas’s main street.
Speaking after the meeting, cllr Moore can’t even see the county council begin the final design stage until “Until October or November”.
“There’s absolutely nothing happening at Murtagh’s Corner and New Row,” said cllr Moore.
“The shopping centre [Roche family] actually owns this site, which they bought to take it out to get into the shopping centre.
“At the moment, it’s still in the ownership of the shopping centre, and the council have done nothing about this.
“It’s typical of a local authority, they’re leaving it to the last minute when they should be negotiating the purchase, and begin to widen Corban’s Lane back to Church Lane”.
Cllr Moore explained how the council needs to finalise three purchases before it can go ahead with the plan to re-open Murtagh’s Cross.
“About two or three metres of grass frontage will have to be taken from the secondary school, and a service shed at 33, South Main Street has its arse out into Corban’s Lane, as well as Sarah Flood’s,” he explained.
“In essence, nothing is being done because these purchases have not been made, so they can’t really make any designs or drawings to be able to get funds from central Government.
“I’d imagine that’s the way, because you can’t make drawings if you don’t own it.
“As Mayor I’ll probably ask for a meeting with the Roads Section, but councillors are asking the wrong questions.
“Updates are needed on these intended purchases, and then where we stand with government funding.
“I am very disappointed with the lack of information and progress in that area."
This position was somewhat corroborated by slightly more optimistic Cllr Bill Clear.
“Roche’s still own the derelict site at Murtagh’s, but it is very bad for Naas’s reputation to IBAL [Irish Business Against Litter] with all the illegal dumping there,” he said, wearing his Tidy Towns hat.
“This site has a heavy effect on the Tidy Towns and that is hy we lost the IBAL award, from first to eighth.
“We’re told the money is there, the Part 8 is done (when a local authority give planning permission to itself), but the issue is with the ownership which is not in the possession of Kildare County Council.
“I believe they’ve agreed to sell the land, and the council is working with the landowner.
“There is significant development planned for Corban’s Lane, what with the re-opening of the Shopping Centre, the new sports pitch at Naas CBS, and a derelict site beside the CBS that got permission from the Council but refused by An Bord Pleanala [sic] on a technicality.
“Also, St Corban’s National School will have its new entry out onto the Lans.
“Kildare County Council are giving huge attention to this site, which will have a large knock-on effect on the Main Street, but it’s not as straight-forward as we think”.
