The N30, passing through Clonroche, is scheduled for upgrading and development within the next three years. This may mean a by pass of Clonroche and will impact on the village and its potential in coming years. This development may be for good or evil but it will change Clonroche. To facilitate debate on this development we will devote a webpage to inable interested parties to place fact, comment, and visions of the village four years from now and the impact on village life and the business potential that will be lost or other wise. If you have a view on this development you can e-mail us and we will include your comments on this page
There are only two villages in the southern half of Ireland by-passed of similar size to Clonroche, Slieve Rue & Newtownmountkennedy. In Slieve Rue Walshs' Garage is closed and both public houses open only in the evening. It is understood the restaurant in Newtownmountkennedy is closed.
Hereunder is a list of towns and villages and the daily average traffic passing through. Some villages (i.e. Claregalway on the N17) have densities of approx 17,000 vehicles passing through each day. Ashford in County Wicklow have 19,500 vehicles passing through each day. None of these villages are by-passed and have a booming catering trade. Urlingford in County Kilkenny has twice the traffic flow as Clonroche again with a thriving catering trade and is not by-passed
Town/Village & Road Number
Bunclody Co
Wexford N80
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Daily Average
4925
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Year of Survey/Not Bypassed
2000 Not By Passed
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This is a map of the area under review starting to the right at Keanes' of Moneytucker and ending on the left at Berkeley just beyond Corcorans Cross. It is expected the New Ross and Enniscorthy by-pass will link up with the N30 at Jamestown/Templescoby and at Corcorans Cross on the New Ross side. However the route option of both by-passes are still to be decided
The Timetable
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A constraints study will be held to identify issues which may effect the the development of routes. This phase will be completed by next Spring
A second public consultation will take place and a number of routes will be displayed. After this a report will be prepaired to outline the advantages and disadvantages of each route and a reccommended prefered route will emerge
A third public meeting will be held to present the results of the Route Selection Study and to discuss the Emerging Preferred Route. This route will be then finalised
An Envviromental Impact Study and all Compulsory Purchase Orders will be completed by Winter 2001 and the project will be completed by 2004
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On show in Clonroche Community Centre on Thursday 19th April 2001 was a display of route options for the by-passing of Clonroche village. On the map below the four options, three to the north of the village and one to the south of the village are laid out. At it's closest point the by-pass will be 200 metres from the village and at the furthermost option the village will be 750 metres from the by-pass this being the southern corridor. The pros & cons of each of the routes are set out below. This project will have a major impact on the village and it's potential. If you have a view it's important to express it to Wexford County Council & the NRA. You can also express them on this website
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Orange
Option -a northern bypass of Clonroche
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Red
Option -
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Blue Option
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Grey Option
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The National Roads Authority have selected the Southern Bypass for Clonroche Village. At a two day public consultation meeting held in Clonroche Community Centre on Wednesday & Thursday 16th & 17th January 2002 the decision of consultants Babtie Pettit was made known to the people of the Clonroche area.
It is expected Preliminary Design & Land Acquisition Procedures will be completed by Spring 2003. Construction & Tender Documents will be prepared by Summer 2003 with the tender being awarded in Winter 2003/2004. It is expected the road will open in the Spring 2006. It will be noted the project is already two years behind schedule from the initial timetable.
With the by by-passing of Clonroche village and the loss of over six thousand vehicle per day or a possible twenty four thousand persons passing through the village each day it is perceived this project will have a major impact on the village for better or worse.
Clonroche will be the first village in County Wexford to be by-passed and it will serve as a model for other villages, not only in county Wexford but throughout Ireland, on the implications of this type of development on their communities
The facts are that only one village in the country has a five or more year experience of the impact of by-passing a locale and this is Slieve Rue near Waterford city.
Visiting Slieve Rue in the morning or afternoon on weekdays one is immediately aware that practically all-commercial activity in the village is at a standstill. Both public houses are closed for business during the day. Walshes garage and filling station is now an abandoned shed and the business moved to Ferrybank. This was directly caused by the by pass. Speaking to the proprietor of the small convenience store one was immediately made aware of the detrimental impact of the by-pass on her business.
Carrying out a survey on a bigger centre, not comparable to Clonroche, Rathkeale in county Limerick that town being by-passed some years ago the reaction from most businesses people were not favourable. In a public house at lunch hour and on enquiring about the impact of the by-pass I was invited to look around at the totally empty lounge which had, before the bypass, a good lunch trade. The lady proprietor of a fancy goods store explained the by-pass was very detrimental to her business. The only favourable comment coming from a drapery store with reference to parking.
To encourage trade and commerce in by-passed villages it must be a requirement to leave the village an attractive and pleasing place to visit. This, in the Clonroche example, must include the realignment of the village roadway, the upgrading and extension of footpath. The under-grounding of service cables, the up grading of light standards to cast iron or other attractive design. The construction or reconstruction of stone or similar attractive features in the village, the redesigning of the roadway at the Glanbia Mill complex and planting of trees and shrubs.
This is not unusual in other villages such as Gowran in county Kilkenny where road planers were brought in to realign the village roadway, footpaths were re designed and constructed, a green area was developed in the centre of the village and a fountain focal feature installed. Derelict terraced houses were re developed and appropriate planting was carried out
The work in Clonroche can be carried out on a phased basis but substantial progress must be made within the next eighteen months. Trust in the local authority is now at an all time low with the reneging of that body on a prepared blueprint put on display in the Community Centre last March.
Farmers and other private individuals effected by this development are seeking and getting substantial compensation so by extension the community of Clonroche village must be allowed similar consideration. Similarly costing of development contractors are, we understand, being seriously inflated so if there are funds available to accommodate these firms the availability of funding for the requested upgrading will not be an excuse.
From representatives of Wexford County Council we understand 190,000 Euro was available for Clonroche village upgrade last year. It will not require much elucidation to demonstrate that 190,000 Euro would not build a decent bungalow let alone build a village. Figures such as this will be perceived as derogatory amounts. One need only examine the recent expenditure on the National Gallery, the precepts of whose hollowed portals will rarely be visited by the citizenry of Clonroche, to understand the cost of leaving Clonroche in an attractive condition should not have the effect of taking the National Development too far off it's monetary target. I'm sure by the time this programme is completed there will be amply opportunity for prudent savings
27/01/2002
A visit to the County Kildare village of Timolin last week confirmed that the bypassing of villages have serious consequences for the economic and commercial activity of the area.
Timolin, on the N9 between Carlow & Kilcullen was recently bypassed. A conversation with the two hostelries in the village, Byrnes & The Sportsman's Inn on the effects of the bypass on the commercial life of the village were given a unanimous ' disastrous' rating by both proprietors.
Byrnes car sales stated they were also effected by the new roadway and would have to consider extra advertising
This is further evidence to support the observations of both Slieve Rue and Rathkeale on the consequential negative effect of bypassing villages
Comparing the Timolin and the proposed Clonroche village bypass one is immediately struck by the fact Timolin is in clear sight of the bypass Clonroche will be three quarters of a mile removed