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Minutes of May Monthly Meeting of Sligo Borough Council held in the Council Chamber, City Hall, Sligo on Monday 11th May 2009 at 8.00 pm.


IN ATTENDANCE:

  • Councillor V. Cawley, Mayor of Sligo (in the chair)
  • Councillor D. Bree,
  • Councillor D. Cawley,
  • Councillor J. Devins,
  • Councillor A.Gibbons,
  • Councillor J. McGarry,
  • Councillor J. McGoldrick,
  • Councillor T. McLoughlin,
  • Councillor C. MacManus,
  • Councillor S. MacManus
  • Councillor R. O’Grady.

OFFICIALS PRESENT:

  • Mr. H. Kearns, County Manager
  • Ms. P. Gallagher, A/Director of Services
  • Mr. J. McNabola, Town Clerk
  • Ms. M. Leyden, Director of Finance
  • Mr. S. Martin, A/Senior Architect
  • Ms. M. McConnell, Senior Executive Officer

1. MOTION UNDER S.140 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 2001 RE-OPENING OF O’CONNELL STREET, SLIGO TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

A report of 05/05/09 from the A/Director of Services was circulated with the Agenda

Councillor S. MacManus proposed “That Sligo Borough Council directs the County Manager under Section 140 of the Local Government Act 2001 to re-open O’Connell Street, Sligo to single lane vehicular traffic”

He said the moving of a S.140 motion was something he would not lightly undertake.  He said that the County manager had failed to act on two decisions of this Council requesting him to re-open O’Connell Street to vehicular traffic.  He said that people on the Eastern side of town are suffering considerably because of the circuitous route which now pertains around town.  He said that failure to secure funding and the length of time which has passed with nothing happening is not acceptable.  Sinn Fein is in favour of pedestrianisation but the closure must be deferred until funding is secured. 

The Mayor arrived at 8.30 pm and took the chair.

All members of the Council supported the motion in the course of a lengthy debate.

The County Manager said that economic conditions have deteriorated.  The project has proven complex due to the scale of utilities to be located and moved.  He said pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street is a policy and objective of the Sligo and Environs Development Plan and urged the Council to reject the motion. 

The Council had agreed to seek tenders for work so this conflicted with calls to have it re-opened.  The key objective is to give pedestrians priority and to allow people to enjoy the amenities of the town centre and not to allow the car to dominate over town centre.  The proposal is in line with Government Policy on sustainable transport and is a key part of the traffic plan for the town.  The issue with lack of funding for enhancement of the street is separate from the pedestrianisation decision.  The motion must be legal and there appears to be a conflict with the objectives in Sligo and Environs Development Plan.

Opening the street to single lane traffic would be an expensive option.
The motion was passed unanimously.

Councillor Bree proposed and Councillor S. MacManus seconded the following motion signed by the following members of the Council Cllr.’s T. McLoughlin, A. Gibbons, D. Cawley, C. MacManus, J. McGarry, J. McGoldrick and R. O’Grady “That all reference to the pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street in the current draft Sligo and Environs Development Plan 2010 – 2016 be deleted and that a new objective be included which reads “The Borough Council will consider the inclusion of an objective to pedestrianise O’Connell Street when the Council is allocated the necessary funding for the project from the Gateway Innovation Fund”. Councillor Devins who had not signed the motion proposed the following addition to the motion “or any other funding source that may be available”

The County Manager advised the meeting that the motion may not be in order for two reasons : firstly it was statutory business and was not on the Agenda for the meeting and secondly under the Planning and Development Act 2000 the Draft Development Plan process includes strict time lines and procedures for making amendments and the Manager felt the proposal was not in accordance with these procedures.

The motion was passed unanimously.

2. ALLOCATION OF REDUCED 2009 – BLOCK AND SPECIAL BLOCK GRANT

On the proposal of Councillor Devins seconded by Councillor S. MacManus it was unanimously agreed to approve the proposals for allocation of reduced 2009 Block, Special Block and Low Cast Accident Schemes Grant for 2009 as set out in a report of 6th May 2009 by the Senior Executive Engineer Roads.


3. MINUTES

The Minutes of Meetings being :

  • April Monthly Meeting of 6th April 2009
  • April General Purposes Meeting of 20th April 2009
  • Programme 4.5.8 Meeting of 30th April 2009

which had been circulated were unanimously adopted.


4. SYMPATHY

The sympathy of the Council was extended to the following:

  • Mr Bill Divers, 3 Maugheraboy Estate on the death of his wife Anne Marie.

 
This concluded the business of the meeting which ended at 10.15pm


Meeting Date 11/05/2009