Coillte urged to cut Laois road hedges without waiting for council notices
Laois residents complaining of 'hazardous' road in Portlaoise area
Coillte should have an annual plan to trim its hedges next to Laois roads instead of waiting on orders to be made to them by the local authority.
So says a Laois councillor who has made the request to the semi-state forestry company.
Cllr Barry Walsh tabled a motion to the December meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District, asking that Laois County Council write to Coillte.
He says that hedgerows in one area in particular are not regularly cut and this is causing hazards for road users.
"Regular hedge cutting notices have been issued in the Graiguenahowan Spink area which cause a potentially hazardous situation for road traffic," he said in his motion.
"There is only one car able to get by here, it's quite bad. Do Coillte have an annual plan?," he asked.
Cllr Walsh wants an annual hedge cutting maintenance plan for all of Coillte's lands with road frontage, to be furnished to Laois County Council.
Cllr John Joe Fennelly supported the motion.
"There is one area where we get a good few calls, residents have complained," he said.
The Portlaoise Municipal District engineer Wes Wilkinson agreed to contact Coillte on the matter.