‘A fear this could go on for years’: Kilkenny road upgrade delayed by Waterford Council inaction

Planned roadworks to improve Ferrybank’s Abbey and Belmont Roads have been held up due to a prolonged wait for Waterford City and County Council (WCCC) to sign off on important documentation.

Preliminary design drawings have been discussed between the two councils but because part of the work would take place in Waterford, a section 85 agreement needs to be signed to allow Kilkenny County Council to complete the upgrades in a different local authority.

According to Area Engineer John Tennyson at Piltown Municipal District’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, the plans have been delayed for a couple of months due to WCCC’s failure to complete the section 85 form.

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The delay comes at a time of strained relations between the two councils as the dispute over the Ferrybank Shopping Centre redevelopment prompted WCCC to initiate a judicial review in an attempt to stop the project in Kilkenny.

Cllr Pat Dunphy (FG) highlighted the urgent need for the upgrades to be progressed saying the Abbey Road is “such a bad road and getting worse all the time” and that “there’s a fear this could go on for years.”

It was suggested by Cllr Ger Frisby (FF) to write to WCCC to get the section 85 as quickly as possible while Cllr Fidelis Doherty (FG) said that “it’s in everyone’s interest to have a good road.”

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