Calls made to tackle Cloughjordan's neglected streets

A NUMBER of calls have been made for the local authority to tackle Cloughjordan's neglected streets.
Cloughjordan local Ryan O’Meara, a Fianna Fáil 2024 local election candidate for the area, called on the County Council to renew its focus on local infrastructure in the area.
Ryan said there's growing disappointment in the community because of the lack of attention being given to local roads and footpaths, both in the village of Cloughjordan and surrounding areas. He said he'd contacted the County Council to highlight local concerns in relation to the conditions of certain roads and footpaths in Cloughjordan.
There are problems with the road surfaces on the Nenagh road, the Templemore road and the Step Road out of the village. The junction at the Nenagh road with the Main Street in Cloughjordan has deteriorated a lot in recent years “and it is now clear that temporarily patching these roads is not sufficient, with full resurfacing works needed,” he pointed out.
He added that heavy rains during the winter months wash away much of these patching works. “The footpaths around Cloughjordan are also not up to a standard we see in other villages in the Nenagh Municipal District,” he continued, “and I believe that the Council needs to source increased levels of funding to improve these under the Active Travel Funds through the Department of Transport. This fund was previously utilised to improve the footpaths on the Templemore road in Cloughjordan and we need to see this continued in other places around the village.”
He thinks larger rural villages such as Cloughjordan need to be presented with local improvement and enhancement plans by the Council. He said that he intends to question Tipperary County Council in the coming months in relation to their plans locally to ensure the area gets the attention and investment it deserves.
During the January monthly meeting of Nenagh Municipal District Cllr Michael O'Meara put forward a motion calling for the upgrading of Cloughjordan's Main Street, a street which, he said, is considerably below par and could be so much better. “I am requesting Nenagh Municipal District draw up a plan for the regeneration of the Main Street in Cloughjordan village,” his notice of motion stated. “The road surface and footpaths in the village need a major upgrade. I am requesting that the active travel scheme and any other schemes should be considered.”
“I welcome the improvement works which were done out to the railway station in the town”, he told the meeting, “but much more needs to be done. A lot of footpath work and road upgrading work on Main Street needs to be done. Several hundred metres of footpath needs tackling. I welcome the fact that a significant sum of money is due to be spent in the town between now and 2024. This work is earmarked for the road out the Step Road and from the Main Street/Church Road junction out to the hurling field.
“We need something like the regeneration plan that was implemented with great success in Borrisokane. I'd like to see something similar happen in Cloughjordan.”
He pointed out that the main street goes from being very wide to relatively narrow. “I don't want it done on a piecemeal basis but altogether”.
He added that the brick pavements “are a disaster. We should remove some of them.”
Cllr Seamus Morris said Cloughjordan has a lot of catching up to do. “There is a big problem with speeding on the Templemore Road. That's a very busy road and it needs traffic calming.”