Nov 2015 Meeting of Carrick on Shannon Municipal District Meeting
At the November meeting of Carrick on Shannon Municipal District, I will ask the Directors of Services, Planning & Infrastructure, what progress there has been to date for the proposed undergrounding of cables on Main Street, Drumsna, from the fair green towards the bridge. It was agreed last year and in March this year that Leitrim County Council would progress this work following the unacceptable practice by ESB contractors of hacking the mature trees on Main Street in order to protect their cables. The mature trees along this streetscape are a very important feature of the village.
REPLY FROM THE SENIOR ENGINEER:
The ESB have provided a scheme design and cost estimate of €15,000 for the Undergrounding of the cables in the vicinity of the playground where the initial concerns were raised. We will ask the ESB to provide a scheme and cost estimate for the Main Street as requested. There is presently no funding to undertake any such works in Drumsna.
RESPONDING TO THE REPLY
Cllr Sinead Guckian outlined that last year contractors for the ESB cut large sections out of most of the mature trees on Main Street, Drumsna. She said it was an unacceptable practice and had a negative impact on the visual appearance of the streetscape. She advised the meeting that she had raised this matter with the council when it happened on behalf of the Tidy towns committee, Drumsna Development, and she had requested that the Council would investigate the possibility of undergrounding the cables on Main Street to ensure that this kind of damage was never done again. She welcomed the work on the cabling in and around the playground, but reiterated that the Trees on Main Street should be protected. She suggested that given the limitations of funding available to the Council that they would work with the Tidy towns group to see if a viable solution could be agreed. She welcomed the Senior Engineers agreement to same.
Notice of Motions in the name of Cllr Sinead Guckian
At the November meeting of Carrick on Shannon Municipal District I will ask the Director of Services, Planning & Infrastructure, what proposals are there in place to protect and/or develop the natural spring on the Castlecarra road, Carrick on Shannon.
REPLY FROM THE SENIOR ENGINEER:
The area of ground where the spring is located is now in the ownership of Leitrim County council. The area is fenced off and an access gate is provided to allow access to the land. There are no plans to undertake further works at this location.
RESPONDING TO THE REPLY
Cllr Sinead Guckian said she had highlighted the natural spring. as a number of people had raised concerns about work in that area. She advised the meeting while in the first instance the natural spring should be protected from any works, she also asked that consideration would be given to developing a more suitable “surround” and access to same. She highlighted that the spring has a long history of servicing the community and that the Carrick on Shannon Historical Society had expressed an interest in discussing the development of the spring as an asset for the town. She welcomed the support of members and the agreement of the Senior Engineer to investigate the potential of the spring further.
