Battle over Cooley greenway cranks up another gear

The battle over the proposed greenway from Dundalk to Carlingford cranked up a gear this week following publication of the emerging preferred route corridor by Louth County Council.

The corridor chosen prompted a furious reaction from opponents of the greenway, with the Protect Cooley Peninsula Group claiming that their “genuine concerns had been sidelined”.

Farmers and residents who are potentially impacted by the development received letters this week from Louth County Council outlining that their properties are on the proposed corridor.

“The arrival of the emerging preferred route corridor letters this week in the Cooley Peninsula has left families stunned, shocked and devastated,” said Denise Collins of the Protect Cooley Peninsula Group.

“Over 550 letters were issued in one sweep, landing like a hammer blow on a community that has already spent 18 months living under the shadow of potential CPOs [compulsory purchase orders],” Collins maintained.

Collins pointed out that over 1,500 submissions objected to the proposed routes on private land during the consultation process last year, while more than 2,330 petitions were handed in to Louth County Council objecting to the greenway plan as it currently stands.

Despite these objections, she said Louth County Council was clearly “ploughing ahead with the project”.

In the letter to property owners, Louth County Council stated that local residents who are potentially impacted by the greenway could consult with the project team online, or could have online meetings with staff members.

In-person meetings were also offered by the council, but these were limited “to a maximum of four individuals per group”.

However, opponents of the greenway accused the council of employing a “box-ticking exercise” rather than engaging in “meaningful consultation”.

The possibility of CPOs being used to acquire land for the greenway has also been raised as a major issue by opponents of the development.

“While the community supports greenways, the forced acquisition of land by CPO, is a red flag; especially when these lands have been farmed for generations and remain vital to family incomes,” said Collins.