Meeting with farmers puts ‘Greenway’ plan in limbo

The much heralded Connemara Greenway – a proposed 30 mile walking and cycling route from Oughterard to Clifden – is now in “limbo” territory, according to the Chairman of the Connemara group of County Councillors, Séamus Walsh.

Following a meeting of landowners with Connemara Councillors and County Council officials in Oughterard this week Councillor Walsh stated that “there will be no Greenway” unless farmers are in agreement with the route chosen, and unless they receive financial compensation.

The group of farmers who attended the meeting with County Councillors this week were mainly from the Glengowla area west of the town.  They said that there was not enough initial consultation with farmers about the Greenway; scores of people who attended a meeting in Oughterard recently raised similar concerns about the development of the project.

Councillor Séamus Walsh said that any individual looking for planning permission for a house would have to show that he/she owned the site or had permission to make the planning application.

In relation to the process used by the Council executive in choosing the Greenway route Councillor Walsh said:  “You cannot go in on people’s lands without their agreement, consent and without offering compensation to the owners”.

Bord Pleanála gave permission for the development of the Connemara Greenway over two years ago.  The application for the project was made by Galway County Council with the support of Fáilte Éireann; sources in the tourism organisation regard the Greenway as a key driver for the future of that industry in Connemara. They point out that a walking and cycling route from Westport to Achill has created a boom in activity in that area.

A two day Bord Pleanála Hearing in regard to the Greenway was held in Clifden in December of 2012.  Some objections and concerns in regard to the Greenway were raised at the Hearing but Bord Pleanála issued full approval for the development.

There were suggestions initially in the tourism sector that the Greenway project would be moved along quickly and that it could be in operation by 2014 or 2015.  But so far, only a little over two miles has been developed to the east of Clifden town and much of the roadway being used was already in existence at that point.

It has emerged that issues as regards the use of lands for the Greenway have also come to the fore in the area between Clifden and Recess which was the first section identified for development.

The application to an Bord Pleanála for the Greenway did not include a request for powers to acquire lands through Compulsory Purchase Order.  Neither was there any provision for compensating landowners.  It was envisaged that the lands required would be given up by the owners for free under an arrangement known as “Permissive Access”.

The route was mapped mostly along the grounds of the old Galway to Clifden railway line.  That service ended in 1935 and the lands have returned to private ownership.

Meanwhile, sources in Fáilte Éireann said this week that the development of the Connemara Greenway remains a “priority”.