Call to suspend Athy CPO hearings

An Taisce has called for the suspension of compulsory purchase order (CPO) hearings in relation to the Athy relief road scheme in Co Kildare.

The call follows a landmark ruling from An Bord Pleanála that the proposed road or "street" as it is described by Kildare County Council, should be subject to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The council had decided that an environmental impact statement would not be required. The council then went ahead and called a hearing into the compulsory purchase orders, which is scheduled to take place by next Friday. However, following a complaint from An Taisce, the appeal board ruled against the council.

Now An Taisce has said it was "illogical" to have compulsory purchase order hearings when the EIS for the route has yet to be tested. An Taisce said the normal method was for the board to hold a hearing into the EIS and the CPOs at the same time.

The relief road, which forms part of the current N9 national route in Co Kildare, is itself set to be bypassed when the N9 is diverted with the completion of an outer relief road, effectively a bypass of the town of Athy.

Because of this, a number of councillors in the town had argued that there was little need for the inner relief road. But a majority of councillors voted last February to proceed with the plan.

In its submission to An Bord Pleanála, An Taisce said Athy was designated a heritage town under an EU regional development fund programme. It argued that the plan would have a "significant impact on the character of the town particularly visually".