Solution to Sligo bridge deadlock key to €100m renewal fund, says Minister

FUNDS EARMARKED for Sligo will be lost if an impasse on a proposed bridge is not resolved before Christmas, Minister of State for Housing Michael Finneran has warned.

Mr Finneran’s comment yesterday comes on the eve of a meeting with members of Sligo Borough Council today.

Mayor of Sligo Cllr Matt Lyons is among the councillors due to meet Mr  Finneran at this afternoon’s meeting in the Custom House, which was  organised by Sligo-North Leitrim TDs John Perry, Eamon Scanlon and Jimmy Devins.

The Minister has repeatedly warned that unless councillors reinstate the planned Eastern Bridge in their local development plan, that the regeneration of Cranmore, one of the largest and most neglected local authority estates in the region, will not proceed. The State investment at stake has been estimated at €100 million.

Mr Finneran believes the regeneration of Cranmore should be part of a master plan for the area under the National Spatial Strategy, which should also include the bridge and that one cannot proceed without the other.

“I want to emphasise to the councillors what is at stake here. I have only weeks left at this stage,” said the Minister. Eight projects, including Cranmore, had been earmarked for regeneration in 2011. But if councillors did not rethink their position on the bridge the funding would be withdrawn within weeks, “definitely before Christmas”.

“I want people to know what is at stake,” said the Minister. “I also want the people of Sligo to know as I think it is important that nobody can say afterwards that they did not know what was involved.”

He hoped he could alleviate some of the councillors’ concerns about access routes. But he added that there was very small provision for manoeuvre as regards the site of the bridge, possibly about 10m (33ft) each way.

The majority of councillors voted to delete the bridge from the plan in December 2008 because of  concerns by the residents of Doorly Park, who said the access routes would sunder the heart of one of the oldest residential communities in Sligo, bringing  19,000 cars a day past their homes. Some councillors have accused the Minister of “blackmail”, saying that Cranmore and the bridge are standalone projects. But, significantly, the Mayor said he believed the argument was over. “One cannot go ahead without the other,” he said.

“I do not want to lose any money which is available for any project in Sligo.” He said everyone  had agreed that a bridge was needed but it was the site that had caused difficulties. Mr Lyons, who was not on the borough council when the vote was taken to reject the bridge, said many councillors had taken a stand before the last election not to back it on the proposed site, hence the deadlock.