Moate councillors have joined forces in an effort to get the council to clean up the back road between the old railway station in Moate and the Ballymore road, which they are describing as a “dumping ground”.
At last week’s Athlone Area meeting, Cllrs Tom Allen and Joe Whelan called on the council to clean up and resurface the road, and to cut back trees. Cllr Allen said his cries had been falling on deaf ears “for 20 odd years”.
“I would ask the council to go in and clean up, and cut back trees, it is a dumping ground. The road could be used if it was cleaned up,” said Cllr Allen.
“It is a headache for everyone in the area and for us as public representatives...There should be funding there.”
Cllr Whelan added that antisocial behaviour in the locality was being caused by a combination of the old railway station, the disused railway line, and this back road.
“We have to be responsible and do something to minimise these problems, even cutting back hedges and putting a surface on the road. It could be used as a means to drive to the golf club and to reduce traffic,” he suggested.
The Moate councillors were informed that the council had acquired the land from CIE to facilitate the construction of a new road link.
“While the need for this road has reduced due to the completion of the M6 motorway, the council retains the objective to open it to traffic at some stage in the future. In the meantime, it will be secured and development levies collected for this purpose will be expended in this regard.”
