Today, I was expecting to see significant funding allocated to progress the Kilkenny Ring Road Extension. Instead, we were told that Kilkenny County Council didn’t even apply for any money this year. They also had to return the money they were given last year because they didn’t spend it.
I’m extremely disappointed at the lack of urgency by Kilkenny County Council. Completing the Ring Road is vital for the economic, cultural and social development of the city. While the Council is making good progress on active travel plans and the success of the bus service is exceeding expectations, we cannot realise our full ambition for walking, cycling and public transport until we take HGVs and other through traffic out of the city centre.
I have been campaigning for completion of the Ring Road for 20 years. We protested, matched and petitioned to build the Ring Road but a majority of councillors ignored us and prioritised the ill-advised Central Access Scheme. This has led to large volumes of traffic now being directed into the Medieval core, past schools and residential areas and the traffic is now worse than ever.
Cllr Maria Dollard and I committed to making Kilkenny a safer, quieter, and healthier place to live and to work. Kilkenny County Council must outline their ambition and intention in relation to the Ring Road, including immediate next steps, a timeline for delivery and a robust explanation for why the money had to be returned last year. We were all under the impression that this was advancing, and it needs to be progressed urgently to improve the quality of life of the people of Kilkenny.