Walking and cycling path in Ballinahown gets go-ahead
The development of a 1.3km walking and cycling path connecting the Ballinahown Sports Park to Bórd na Móna lands at Ballinahown has been approved by Westmeath County Council.
The construction of the path will connect with a seven-kilometre trail between Athlone and the South Westmeath village currently being built by BnM as part of its Midland Trails Network.
The BnM project will pass through the townlands of the Derries, Carrickobrien, Bunahinly, Clonbonny, Corralena, Kilgarvan Glebe, Ballinahown Wood and Ballinahown.
Proposed works on the 1.3km link include the construction of a three-metre wide paved pedestrian and cycleway, construction of a pedestrian and cycleway bridge, cycle parking facilities, signage map boards and public lighting where required.
Proposing the plan at the most recent monthly meeting of Westmeath County Council, Fianna Fáil Councillor Frankie Keena said it was an exciting further development of the greenway and “good news”.
He was seconded by Independent Councillor John Gibbons, who welcomed the initiative and said he hoped it would bring more people to Ballinahown and enhance the good works being done there.
The meeting was told that Cllr John Dolan (Fine Gael) had absented himself from the discussion, having declared a conflict of interest as he was involved in the Ballinahown Sports Park.
Putting forward the plan, which was placed on public display from early May to June as part of a statutory public consultation period, Westmeath County Council chief executive Barry Kehoe submitted that the proposal would help strengthen and develop the future Athlone to Clonmacnoise greenway, and link into other greenway projects locally. The project, he said, will be undertaken by the council and will be financed through a combination of council funds and government grant support. The project, he added, will form part of a wider strategy to integrate Ballinahown village with the emerging greenway network, by providing a dedicated pedestrian and cycle connection to the planned Bórd na Móna Greenway linking Athlone to Clonmacnoise.
“The proposed scheme,” he said, “will improve access to greenway amenities for residents of Ballinahown and the wider hinterland, who, despite living in close proximity to these recreational assets, currently experience limited safe and convenient access.”
The council said that it will engage with a qualified and experienced archaeologist for the duration of the project, which it said will be completely constructed off-road.
Barry Kehoe added that both Westmeath County Council and its Offaly counterparts are continuing to explore opportunities for further connections to the wider cycling and greenway network, including links to the Old Rail Trail Greenway and the Grand Canal Greenway.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme