Farmers have raised concerns over a proposed Sligo, Leitrim, Northern counties, railway (SLNCR) greenway.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) were involved in a meeting with officials from Leitrim and Sligo County Councils as well as ARUP project consultants in Sligo last week.
Leitrim IFA chair Liam Gilligan said the proposed emerging corridor put forward by the Councils at the meeting is to follow the old railway route, however, in practice farmers now farm and use most of the land where the abandoned railway line was.
Gilligan said: “the old, abandoned railway line is long gone, and this land is now active farmland, with some in private ownership, making it unsuitable for a greenway”.
In addition, IFA expressed its opposition to any severance of farms or compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for amenity projects like greenways.
“The IFA pointed out to the County Councils that the proposed emerging preferred corridor for the Sligo/Leitrim Greenway will predominantly take private lands and have the potential to sever and divide a large number of the farms and this is totally unacceptable,” said Sligo IFA chair Michael O’Dowd.
Greenway
The proposed project is to pass from Sligo town to Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, passing through Ballysadare, Collooney, Ballintogher, Dromahair, Manorhamilton, Glenfarne, Blacklion, Belcoo and Letterbreen on the way.
Representatives from ARUP and both county councils updated IFA on the project and the emerging preferred corridor, which is up to 200m wide.
Over the next 18 months, the project promoters will be working to reduce the design of the corridor down to 8-10m wide.
Currently the project is on public consultation number three, which is set to close on May 27 and planning permission is expected to be applied for in early-2027.
IFA made a submission to the Councils previously on the greenway highlighting a number of additional farmer concerns including privacy, safety and security, anti-social behaviour, litter, animal disease and wildlife, and other issues.
Private land
In a joint statement, the Sligo IFA chair and Leitrim IFA chair said greenway projects like the SLNCR should maximise the use of public lands and minimise the impact on private lands, in line with the Government Strategy for the Future Development of Greenways and the Greenways Code of Best Practice.
IFA urged all farmers along the proposed emerging route of the old railway to check out the ownership situation and if they need to register their ownership, they should take steps to do so.
As part of the code of practice for greenways, project promoters can contribute a sum of €750 plus VAT towards the vouched legal fees incurred by farmers in regularising their title to the standard required.
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Farmers have raised concerns over a proposed Sligo, Leitrim, Northern counties, railway (SLNCR) greenway.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) were involved in a meeting with officials from Leitrim and Sligo County Councils as well as ARUP project consultants in Sligo last week.
Leitrim IFA chair Liam Gilligan said the proposed emerging corridor put forward by the Councils at the meeting is to follow the old railway route, however, in practice farmers now farm and use most of the land where the abandoned railway line was.
Gilligan said: “the old, abandoned railway line is long gone, and this land is now active farmland, with some in private ownership, making it unsuitable for a greenway”.
In addition, IFA expressed its opposition to any severance of farms or compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for amenity projects like greenways.
“The IFA pointed out to the County Councils that the proposed emerging preferred corridor for the Sligo/Leitrim Greenway will predominantly take private lands and have the potential to sever and divide a large number of the farms and this is totally unacceptable,” said Sligo IFA chair Michael O’Dowd.
Greenway
The proposed project is to pass from Sligo town to Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, passing through Ballysadare, Collooney, Ballintogher, Dromahair, Manorhamilton, Glenfarne, Blacklion, Belcoo and Letterbreen on the way.
Representatives from ARUP and both county councils updated IFA on the project and the emerging preferred corridor, which is up to 200m wide.
Over the next 18 months, the project promoters will be working to reduce the design of the corridor down to 8-10m wide.
Currently the project is on public consultation number three, which is set to close on May 27 and planning permission is expected to be applied for in early-2027.
IFA made a submission to the Councils previously on the greenway highlighting a number of additional farmer concerns including privacy, safety and security, anti-social behaviour, litter, animal disease and wildlife, and other issues.
Private land
In a joint statement, the Sligo IFA chair and Leitrim IFA chair said greenway projects like the SLNCR should maximise the use of public lands and minimise the impact on private lands, in line with the Government Strategy for the Future Development of Greenways and the Greenways Code of Best Practice.
IFA urged all farmers along the proposed emerging route of the old railway to check out the ownership situation and if they need to register their ownership, they should take steps to do so.
As part of the code of practice for greenways, project promoters can contribute a sum of €750 plus VAT towards the vouched legal fees incurred by farmers in regularising their title to the standard required.
Read more
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Greenways are fast becoming 'ghostways' - INHFA
Public meeting to be held over Louth greenway
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