Vo1 1 Issue 9 DUNBOYNE COMBINED RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION Oct 2002

Progress Report

Station Road/Rooske Road
After years of lobbying we are delighted to report that Meath County Council will commence work in the next few weeks on replacement of that dreadful broken boundary fence on Station Road Bridge, with a new metal crash barrier. This will remove this eyesore from our midst and greatly enhance the village entrance.
Other recent improvements in this area
· Completion of the footpath on Station Road opposite the entrance to Millfarm.
· Tree planting and maintenance of the grass verge outside Hamilton Hall on Station Road.
· Repair loose cobble lock around poles in front of Castleview and at bus shelter.
· Erection of a new boundary wall and railing at new Library/Respite Centre Rooske Road.
· The tidying up of another dreadful eyesore at the junction of Rooske Road/Station Road by the Tidy Towns Committee in co-operation with Meath Co. Co. and FAS.
· Scuffing of weeds at walls, kerbs and poles in area.
Planned Improvements
· Meath Co. Co. will landscape the grass verge in front of the Primary School
· Improve the area at the end of the old Rooske Road near the pedestrian crossing
· Provide an additional litterbin at school pedestrian crossing, at Station Road bus shelter and at entrance to Castleview.
· So we should see further improvement in this area in the coming months.

A Lot Done - More To Do.

Thanks to the Tidy Towns Committee who provided the beautiful hanging baskets and flower tubs in the village centre over the summer.

Village Improvement Plan

After what seems like a lifetime we are at last beginning to see the village improvement plan near completion. Dunboyne Tidy Towns Committee and ourselves have had regular meetings with Meath Co. Council engineers over the past few years in an effort to input our ideas and progress the project. While we didn't always get what we wanted especially in the choice of paving used we nevertheless were successful in one major aspect and that was the removal of all overhead cables and unsightly poles from the village centre. This was not part of the original plan and required substantial additional funding.

In the past week we had a very successful meeting with the engineer on the provision of new street furniture, mainly new litter bins and seating in the village centre and the completion of the project over the coming months. One area we still are not happy with is the lack of a proper pedestrian crossing from Spar to Macaries. This is a very dangerous junction especially for the elderly and we would ask everyone to lobby their politicians and Meath Co Council to have this rectified. While this is not part of the plan the engineer has promised to raise it with the appropriate people in Navan.

In conclusion we must acknowledge the co-operation of both Meath County Council Engineers Michael English and Adrian Hobbs who were most courteous and helpful at all times.

Green Belt
Meath Co Council is presently having an Area Action Plan drawn up for the lands east of the old railway. These lands are not rezoned for development despite what some people might want us to believe. We have yet to meet a single person in Dunboyne who doesn't believe it is crucial, to the very survival of our very special village community, that this remains the case. Otherwise we will be subsumed by the ongoing sprawl of the city. Dunboyne would loose all its character and identity if this were to happen. So let the entire community unite to ensure this is not allowed to happen. The notion that this land must be developed because the railway is to reopen at some stage, is pie in the sky. It was always going to take at least ten to fifteen years for this to happen, however given the current state of the government finances this project is a non runner.

Ring Road
The Dunboyne bypass or ring road linking the Maynooth Road at Castlefarm through the Summerhill Road at Newtown Bridge to the new Clonee/Kells dual carriageway at Pace (North of Manning's Garage) was recently the subject of an oral hearing by An Bord Pleanala. Subject to it getting the green light it should be open in 2006. This will transform the area, removing the scourge of heavy lorries trudging through the village, choking up our streets and putting pedestrians lives in danger. The vast majority are using this route simply to avoid the M50 toll bridge, and once these juggernauts are removed, our village should once again become a more leisurely-relaxed place we can all enjoy.

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