[Redsoxfan]

Originally Posted by JupiterKid

I'm glad to see some of the A5 project going ahead but I'm a bit puzzled that the Omagh to Ballygawley section is going ahead first. I would have thought that an Omagh bypass and the section between Omagh and Strabane would be more of a priority?

I said as much earlier. I wonder perhaps if Strabane - > Omagh is going to be the most contentious stretch from a planning & development perspective? It certainly seemed to be based on the amount of 'anti' signs were thrown up along this stretch.

What is the current status of the plan for the route? Has it or will it all be approved together or will it be submitted and approved in stages?

[I dont know]

Originally Posted by Redsoxfan

I said as much earlier. I wonder perhaps if Strabane - > Omagh is going to be the most contentious stretch from a planning & development perspective? It certainly seemed to be based on the amount of 'anti' signs were thrown up along this stretch.

What is the current status of the plan for the route? Has it or will it all be approved together or will it be submitted and approved in stages?

I think you're right about Strabane > Omagh being the most contentious stretch. There were a group of protesters camped out on the Strabane side of Newtownstewart for a long time - maybe they're putting up more of a fight than other landowners - maybe not.

I think Omagh > Ballygawley would have always taken priority over that stretch anyway, as it would have a higher volume of traffic & I'd say it has easily had a higher number of fatalities over the years,

Omagh is going to be an even more frustrating bottleneck without a by-pass!

[Redsoxfan]

Reported on Highland Radio today

http://www.highlandradio.com/2012/07...00-objections/

I know that only sections of the route have been approved for funding, but does this planning approval mean that in theory, when* funding is received, the other sections (i.e. Strabane->Omagh) can commence without further consulation/approval or does approval of the 'scheme' just mean that it can proceed to planning....


* very aware that this is likely to be when hell freezes over....

[doopa]

Originally Posted by Redsoxfan

Reported on Highland Radio today

http://www.highlandradio.com/2012/07...00-objections/

I know that only sections of the route have been approved for funding, but does this planning approval mean that in theory, when* funding is received, the other sections (i.e. Strabane->Omagh) can commence without further consulation/approval or does approval of the 'scheme' just mean that it can proceed to planning....


* very aware that this is likely to be when hell freezes over....

Sounds like they will do it in bits...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19062494
The project, which will cost £330m, will improve the roads between Ballygawley and Omagh - and New Buildings and Strabane.

[cargo]

Does anyone have any latest route plans for this yet? They seem to be changing the start finish points with every press release!!

Good to see that it'll tie directly into the Belfast DC at Ballygawley also. Where will it stop South of Omagh?

[I dont know]

Not much happening on this thread recently. Last week, construction was delayed yet again (see below)
Hopefully it goes ahead, and pretty soon. I know alot of guys were ready to start work on it pretty soon

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21754436
Judge 'minded to quash' A5 decision

A High Court judge has said he is minded to quash the regional development minister's decision to proceed with the A5 dual carriageway.

The A5 scheme forms part of a proposed key cross-border business route linking Dublin and north west Northern Ireland.

Mr Justice Stephens rejected the overwhelming majority of the applicant's grounds of challenge for those opposing the scheme.

However he upheld one of the grounds of appeal.

That was that appropriate assessment under the Habitats Directive should have been, but had not been, carried out.

On that basis, the judge indicated that he was minded to quash the minister's decision to begin constructing the dual carriageway.

However, he has given the department until Wednesday 20 March to make further submissions on whether they were in breach of the Habitats Directive.

Farmers, businessmen and landowners joined together under the Alternative A5 Alliance grouping in a legal challenge to the planned stretch of dual carriageway between Derry and Aughnacloy, County Tyrone.

Uncertainty now surrounds the overall project after the Irish government downgraded funding due to its tough economic circumstances.

Judicial review proceedings centred on the decision to press ahead with two sections of the route, for which the Northern Ireland Executive has approved £280m.

Work on the dual carriageway has been put on hold due to the legal intervention.

The FB page below has been providing regular updates;
https://www.facebook.com/SupportA5

[ardmacha]

The point here is that most of the objections were thrown out. This concern about rivers doesn't affect the Omagh/Ballygawley section in any case, so this can go ahead even if there is a delay elsewhere.

[munchkin_utd]

ok, officially the landowners etc are against it on ecological grounds.
Is there another reason because it makes no sense that businessmen and landowners are against it who would be set to gain from better access to their land and thus a bonanza cashwise if they were to sell it off?
And businessmen who are trading would benefit with their vehicles being able to get to markets quicker and more reliably.

In many places abroad, landowners and businesses near major infrastructural projects must contribute to the costs as they benefit from the rewards of the projects.
That makes sense. Better infrastructre = (normally) better business
Here though they have the infrastructure for free and dont want it!
It doesnt make logical sense.

[Sponge Bob]

A lot of the objecting has to do with the overall project appearing to be a Fenian Plot directed at Loyal Farmers. Some of the known antis were on the fringes of _political_ loyalism and looking to stir things up.

EG > http://www.jimallister.org/default.asp?blogID=2088

Then they acquired some strange bedfellows along the way eg here

Anyway there is an excellent piece by Wesley Johnston here and Ardmacha is right. The judgement has no effect on the project south of Omagh.

http://wesleyjohnston.wordpress.com/...enge-what-now/

The challenge, therefore, concentrated not on the aforementioned general issues, but on six more specific points of procedure:

1. That the inspector at the public inquiry was biased in favour of the Department for Regional Development.
2. A breach of an EU obligation to send a description of/information about the scheme to the Irish Government.
3. Failure to carry out an appropriate assessment of Rivers Foyle and Finn Special Areas of Conservation under the Habitats Directive.
4. Failure to comply with the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive by not considering reasonable alternatives.
5. Inadequacy of the Environmental Statement under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.
6. Breach of the applicants’ property rights and other rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

[Redsoxfan]

Originally Posted by munchkin_utd

It doesnt make logical sense.

That would be an ecumenical matter...

[nordydan]

Originally Posted by Sponge Bob

A lot of the objecting has to do with the overall project appearing to be a Fenian Plot directed at Loyal Farmers. Some of the known antis were on the fringes of _political_ loyalism and looking to stir things up.

EG > http://www.jimallister.org/default.asp?blogID=2088

Then they acquired some strange bedfellows along the way eg here

Anyway there is an excellent piece by Wesley Johnston here and Ardmacha is right. The judgement has no effect on the project south of Omagh.

http://wesleyjohnston.wordpress.com/...enge-what-now/

...but by cross-border politics to provide better access, at huge cost to affected farmers, from Dublin to Donegal. Hence, the fervour with which it is being driven forward by the DRD Sinn Fein Minister, while roads with far higher traffic use are denied upgrading to dual carriageway (eg A26 east of Coleraine)

Funnily enough Jim is MLA for that area. A nice mix of tired old sectarianism and parish pump politics there from the boul Seamus...

[I dont know]

Interesting reading from Wesley Johnston there. I'm pretty hopeful that the bit that most concerns me (Omagh-Ballygawley) will go ahead soon then. The sooner they get the whole thing done the better imo.

The DRD should be presenting any new evidence today then? Hope it goes well...

[spacetweek]

Originally Posted by I dont know

Interesting reading from Wesley Johnston there. I'm pretty hopeful that the bit that most concerns me (Omagh-Ballygawley) will go ahead soon then. The sooner they get the whole thing done the better imo.

The DRD should be presenting any new evidence today then? Hope it goes well...

8 days is up tomorrow, looks like we need to wait until then.

[Aquarius34]

I think the Border to Lifford section should go ahead first at least, it would give most of Donegal direct access to a high standard road to the south. This is the section that doesn't seem to have much objections.

[cgcsb]

with a border to lifford section completed, would it then be faster for Leterkenny-Belfast journeys to be made via the M1,A4, new A5? i.e. approaching Belfast city from the south.