Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has responded to an update by Wicklow County Council on the consultation process regarding the closure of the N11 access road to Herbert Road. Between September and November last year, the Council carried out a public consultation to determine public attitudes to a proposed N11 / M11 Bus Priority Interim Scheme, the results of which Brady argued would reveal the strength of feeling and opposition in the community in Bray towards the proposal in its current form. The level of opposition to the plans have been confirmed by the Council which stated that there was a significant negative response to the proposed closure of the N11 access to the Herbert Road.
Brady said:
“I welcome the fact that Wicklow County Council has completed the public consultation process on the N11 / M11 Bus Priority Interim Scheme and is currently preparing a post publication consultation report.
In November I submitted a Sinn Féin petition opposing the plans as they had been presented to the public. The strength of public opinion on the issue can be seen from the 1,853 signatories to the petition.
In addition, there were a further 1,152 submissions, including one which I submitted in my own name, in which I outlined the reasons for my strong opposition to the existing plans.
It is absolutely clear that the primary issue of concern for members of the public which was evident across the submissions to the Council concerned the closure of the Herbert Road Junction, and the installation of a traffic lights system at Hill Garage in place of the existing roundabout.
A recent update from the Council has confirmed the strength of opposition to the proposal to close the N11 access road at the Herbert Road.
The reality was that the original traffic plans as they have been presented are unworkable and would result in a disaster for motorists and residents who currently use the Herbert Road Junction, and the Hills roundabout.
The council have carried out further environmental studies and traffic analysis on elements of the emerging preferred option. It is critical that whatever the emerging preferred option is, it needs takes cognisance of the level of community opposition to the original proposal.
There are three other junctions in Bray. I do not believe that the traffic prevented from using the Herbert Road would travel to the Bray North Junction. Nor would they use the Old Fassaroe Junction, which would take them onto the Main Street, which is itself overwhelmed with traffic.
Which would result in traffic being forced to use the new junction at the former Hills Roundabout.
The anticipated influx of additional traffic would be significantly more than this junction could cope with. Particularly when we consider that vehicles are forced to que out onto the N11 as they await access to the junction.
Through my ongoing interaction with local people and motorists on this issue, and the response in terms of support for the petition and the number of submissions tabled, the strength of opposition is abundantly clear.
Once again, I am calling on the Green Party Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to abandon his ideological approach to our transport infrastructure, and to respect the fact that there is massive local opposition to the current proposals.
I further call upon the Council to listen to the voices in the community who have and continue to express widespread opposition to a scheme which if it is allowed to go ahead will create traffic chaos in Bray.