PRESS RELEASE
Researcher Calls for Full Public Enquiry into Monkstown Ring Road
For Release 16/10/2006
A Transport Researcher, Mr. Brian Guckian, has called for a full and rigourous public enquiry into the Monkstown Ring Road planning and approval process after it emerged that significant internal lobbying of Councillors to approve the proposed scheme was undertaken by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council staff ahead of last week's vote.
Mr. Guckian said Councillors had been given presentations on just one option - the existing scheme - and said sustainable alternative options, such as the Monkstown-Stillorgan Greenway, which had been submitted to the Council last February at the Oral Hearing into the proposed scheme, had been totally ignored.
"It's like purporting to have a democratic election and then putting up just one candidate", said Mr. Guckian. "Councillors were advised only on the existing proposal, the EIS for which breached EU planning guidelines and which was thrown out by An Bord Pleanala's independent planning expert last June". Mr. Guckian confirmed that at no stage since last February had he been asked by the Council to give balancing presentations on the Greenway alternative.
"This is a scandal. You have Councillors voting for a scheme that was rejected by an independent expert assessment that carefully took account of a huge range of evidence. Then, they completely ignored sustainable alternatives put forward in good faith by people from the county. Just as An Bord Pleanala's decision to grant permission was wrong and is being investigated, last week's vote is just as wrong, and also should be investigated. The whole thing stinks and demands a full and rigourous public enquiry".
Mr. Guckian said that he expected decisive action from the European Parliament on foot of his recent Petition lodged on August 3rd last, and rejected assertions that there was public support for the proposed scheme. "There cannot be support for this; how can anyone with a conscience support a scheme that has been totally rejected by a state planning expert?".
ENDS
Contact: Brian Guckian 087 9140105 railprojects@eircom.net
Researcher Calls for Full Public Enquiry into Monkstown Ring Road
For Release 16/10/2006
A Transport Researcher, Mr. Brian Guckian, has called for a full and rigourous public enquiry into the Monkstown Ring Road planning and approval process after it emerged that significant internal lobbying of Councillors to approve the proposed scheme was undertaken by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council staff ahead of last week's vote.
Mr. Guckian said Councillors had been given presentations on just one option - the existing scheme - and said sustainable alternative options, such as the Monkstown-Stillorgan Greenway, which had been submitted to the Council last February at the Oral Hearing into the proposed scheme, had been totally ignored.
"It's like purporting to have a democratic election and then putting up just one candidate", said Mr. Guckian. "Councillors were advised only on the existing proposal, the EIS for which breached EU planning guidelines and which was thrown out by An Bord Pleanala's independent planning expert last June". Mr. Guckian confirmed that at no stage since last February had he been asked by the Council to give balancing presentations on the Greenway alternative.
"This is a scandal. You have Councillors voting for a scheme that was rejected by an independent expert assessment that carefully took account of a huge range of evidence. Then, they completely ignored sustainable alternatives put forward in good faith by people from the county. Just as An Bord Pleanala's decision to grant permission was wrong and is being investigated, last week's vote is just as wrong, and also should be investigated. The whole thing stinks and demands a full and rigourous public enquiry".
Mr. Guckian said that he expected decisive action from the European Parliament on foot of his recent Petition lodged on August 3rd last, and rejected assertions that there was public support for the proposed scheme. "There cannot be support for this; how can anyone with a conscience support a scheme that has been totally rejected by a state planning expert?".
ENDS
Contact: Brian Guckian 087 9140105 railprojects@eircom.net
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