Revealed: Close on 200 objection letters submitted by Tipperary residents to walkway

On Friday last, July 12, representatives of the residents of Limerick Junction delivered more than one hundred and eighty objection letters to the offices of Tipperary County Council on the Rosanna Road in Tipperary Town.

The objections submitted are against the Council's plans to create a public walkway just behind the more than 30 homes in Limerick Junction.

Residents have expressed their fears about the security of their homes if members of the public can approach their back fences at any time, day or night.

Already, Limerick Junction is dealing with several hundred drunk and disorderly passengers per year, that are forcibly removed from trains by Irish Rail in the village.

Many of these people attempt to get into cars, knock on doors and look for phone charging, lifts and make other demands of residents, mostly in an angry manner.

Limerick Junction has no taxi service or Garda Station and many of those who are ejected from trains have no means of leaving the rural village.

Residents are very worried that drunk and disorderly people would now have access to the rear of their homes, if the Council proceed with the proposal.

Friday last was the final day for submissions to the Council's Part 8 planning process, where the Council effectively applies to itself for permission to carry out its plans. The ultimate decision is with the eleven elected Councillors of the Tipperary Cahir Cashel Local Electoral Area.

All of these have been contacted by residents and both Cllr. John O'Heney and Cllr. John Crosse (Cathaoirleach of the LEA) have visited the Junction and "walked the walk" with residents.

This enabled the Councillors to see first hand the very real risks posed by the proposed development.

They were also shown a perfectly viable alternative, where the final part of the walk would use the existing, recently refurbished, public footpath to the fronts of the homes, rather than behind them.

Both Councillors were supportive and undertook to make enquiries on behalf of the residents.

The residents hope that the other Councillors who have been contacted, will also take up an invitation to "walk the walk" with residents. Some Councillors have already committed to visiting, subject to a day and time being agreed.

By the time that all of the paper and online submissions are registered, it is expected that there will be around 215 submissions received.

All of those received are objecting to the development, with the exception of one, which was made on behalf of the Tipperary Town Task Force by Chairperson, Carmel Fox.

The Task Force was the originator of the plan for the walkway, and residents have expressed their anger that they were never consulted about the route of the walkway.

Although the Task Force submission states: "The project was identified during the consultation period for the Tipperary Town Strategy and Action Plan to 2035", residents are adamant that while the idea might have emerged within the Task Force itself during that time, the idea did not emerge from the local community and that no consultation by the Task Force took place with them prior to the plan being published as a Part 8 planning process.

It is expected that Councillors will vote on the proposal during their meeting towards the end of September. Residents have vowed to continue to press councillors and officials to reverse a plan that they see as seriously compromising their security and safety.