Portlaoise residents 'shock' at light after Leylandii chopped as new trees planned

Residents of a Portlaoise council housing estate "got a shock" at the level of daylight after Laois County Council cut down an overgrown hedge between them and the railway line.

Updates on work underway beside the busy Irish Rail Dublin commuter line at Portlaoise Leisure Centre and St Brigid's Place, were requested at the January meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

Sinn Féin Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley and Fine Gael Cllr Thomasina Connell tabled separate motions on the works.

The council is removing trees and adding new streetlights all along the rail line, from the Ridge Road right up to the corner of St Brigid's Place. 

Cllr Dwane Stanley said some residents were shocked when the trees came down.

"I thank Wes and the council horticulturalist for meeting me on site with residents. There are three issues, the drainage, the lights and the native trees.

"There was a drainage issue highlighted on social media. Water is lying on a path.

"Regarding the rail line where all the old Leylandii trees were. We got funding over a three year phase. We knew there would be a gap between the trees being removed and the new ones being planted. Some residents got a shock, at the amount of light coming in.

"The horticulturalist told me he hopes to start getting in the trees that residents have picked out, by the end of January. You have done a great improvement," she said.

Cllr Thomasina Connell asked for an update on the hedgerow and lighting beside the leisure centre pitches.

"The site looks absolutely brilliant. The Community Recognition Fund was provided by Minister Roderic O'Gorman. It it a total of €70,000 to remove the wall, erect railing, do landscaping, push back the grass from the tarmac and add lighting which is essential. Eight big lights are going in, we are waiting on the ESB, I really hope they will be up soon.

"Anyone walking around that square at night finds it very dark. You can really only walk on three sides. It will be great for people in St Brigid's, Bianconi Way and Esker Gate to have it well lit. I am delighted with the project, I can't believe it is being delivered so quickly.

"There is another Community Recognition Fund this year and I'd be keen for any community to put their hand up for it," Cllr Connell said.

In reply to Cllr Dwane Stanley, engineer Wes Wilkinson said the new trees must be planted by mid March, as that is the end of the season to plant bareroot trees.

He said that the area along the rail boundary near St Brigid's Place will be examined with a view to carrying out drainage works.

He said that streetlights are being installed along the footpath at the leisure centre end of the rail boundary and await a date for connection to the electricity supply. Native hedging will be installed there by the end of February.