Cllr Nash pushes for Louth County Council to install footpaths on Rock Road in Blackrock

Cllr Robert Nash has called on Louth County Council to find the funds necessary to install footpaths on the Rock Road in Blackrock, for the safety of residents an school children in the seaside village.

Cllr Nash made the call in a motion at the Dundalk Municipal District December meeting. In Cllr Nash's motion he stated: 

"That Louth County Council as a matter of urgency seek funding through whatever means possible to install footpaths on the Rock Road in Blackrock. Such a project needs to be completed for the safety of residents and school children in the area."

Replying to Cllr Nash's motion, David Jones, Director of Services, Placemaking & Physical Development stated: 

"Previous proposals by Louth County Council to install a footpath on the Road road Blackrock will be reviewed, with a view to examining options to progress the project, including funding opportunities."

At the meeting, Cllr Nash said that the Rock Road is a very busy road, that serves two schools and that there was recently a bad accident on it.

He reminded the meeting that funding had been sourced for a footpath a number of years ago through the Town and Renewal Scheme but it had to be returned to the government department.

€100,000 had been secured by Blackrock Tidy Towns through the Town and Village scheme for the project in 2020, with the assistance of then Cllr Maria Doyle, but ended up having to be returned to the Department of Rural and Community Development because the project had not been completed in time.

In 2022, councillors at the Dundalk Municipal District May meeting were told by then Director of Services, Mr Paddy Donnelly, that Louth County Council had to return funding for the project, as land ownership could not be confirmed, and as the Department had a time limit on the funding, it had to be returned.

Cllr Nash told the December meeting that he welcomed Mr Jones comments on reviewing the project, and added that there was a natural walkway in the area, called the New Line, that could form part of the solution for a new footpath.

Cllr Nash's motion was seconded at the meeting by Cllr John Reilly. Cllr Kevin Meenan, commented at the meeting that he concurred completely with Cllr Nash on the matter.