Louth County Council to hold information event as part of Carlingford Lough Greenway public consultation
Louth County Council is to hold an information eventon Tuesday, 19thFebruary 2019at the Station House, Carlingford, Co Louthas part of a public consultation on the Carlingford Lough Greenway project. The drop-in event takes place from 12 noon to 8pmand members of the project team will be on hand to talk about the route and plans for the Greenway. They will deliver a presentation on the initiative at 6pm.
The €3.46 million project is funded under the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). It is led by Louth County Council, working in collaboration with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and East Border Region Ltd. Match-funding has been provided by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.When completed, the Carlingford Lough Greenway will provide a world-class cross-border green travel route. The project will extend for approximately 20km from Carlingford to Newry City, providing a commuter and recreational facility for the area. The new 10.1km stretch will build on the popular Carlingford Marina to Omeath Greenway.
Commenting, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Councillor Liam Reilly said: “The Carlingford Lough Greenway is a fantastic amenity for this area that we hope will inspire active travel. When it’s complete, we envisage that it will create a safe and attractive traffic-free cross-border route from Carlingford to Newry for commuters and recreational users alike. This is a community project and it is important that the community is aware of what it’s about and the benefits it will provide when it’s finished. As part of this, we are now inviting members of the public to meet the project team in Carlingford on Tuesday, 19thFebruary.”
Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Councillor Mark Murnin added: “We are really excited about this project, which is a brilliant cross-border initiative on which we are delighted to work with Louth County Council. The Newry to Victoria Lough section opened last May and is already proving hugely popular so I am looking forward to the next stage being completed, linking Newry to Carlingford.”
At present, just 2.7 per cent of cross-border commuters travel to work or education by bike or on foot and the aim of this INTERREG programme is to get people out of their cars by providing an attractive active alternative. In an effort to increase this number to 10 per cent by 2023, a cross-border Greenway Activity Programme will be developed under the themes of sustainable transport, active travel, healthy living and social cohesion. Businesses and education institutions that cater for a significant number of cross-border commuters will also be encouraged to promote the use of the greenway.
CEO of the SEUPB, Gina McIntyre said: “Sustainable transport is a key objective of the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme and the Carlingford Lough Greenway will provide a more environmentally friendly travel option to local commuters and visitors alike. I am delighted that we are now at public consultation stage for this stretch of the Greenway and I look forward to its completion.”
It is intended that Part 8 planning permission for the Carlingford Lough Greenway will be sought in early March and that work will begin on this phase of the project in early 2020.
Further information and updates on the project can be accessed at www.carlingfordloughgreenway.ie
The Station House is part of the building the Carlingford Tourist Office operates from. Open in Google Maps
