N11 Improvement Scheme ‘undermines Climate Action Plan 2019’

national | environment | press release Sunday December 15, 2019 23:21 by foie - Friends of the Irish Environment

Press Release - Friends of the Irish Environment 13th Dec 2019

N11 Improvement Scheme ‘undermines Climate Action Plan 2019’

Promised ‘deep level of collaboration across government’ absent from road considerations

In a submission to the public consultation on the N11/M11 Junction 4 to Junction 14 Improvement Scheme, Friends of the Irish Environment claims the proposal undermines the ‘Climate Action Plan 2019’ requirement for a ‘deep level of collaboration across government’.

FRIENDS OF THE IRISH ENVIRONMENT
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13 DECEMBER 2019

N11 Improvement Scheme ‘undermines Climate Action Plan 2019’

Promised ‘deep level of collaboration across government’ absent from road considerations

In a submission to the public consultation on the N11/M11 Junction 4 to Junction 14 Improvement Scheme, Friends of the Irish Environment claims the proposal undermines the ‘Climate Action Plan 2019’ requirement for a ‘deep level of collaboration across government’.

FIE Director Judy Osborne has written that ‘What is required is an integrated plan to consider how to move people and goods along the east coast. This problem cannot be resolved satisfactorily by independent agencies each working on separate briefs but requires a ‘deep level of collaboration across government’, as promised in the ‘Climate Action Plan 2019’.’

FIE cites Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s submission that ‘a major problem with the process is the failure to include and consider a full range of options.‘
Ms Osborne says this ‘widespread issue’ is exemplified by Patrick Ledwidge’s, Independent Inspector’s Report on the Draft ‘Ministerial Direction on Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly’. ‘It was his recommendation the failure to integrate a number of different plans and strategies should be referred to the Planning Regulator’s Office.’

The submission claims that ‘The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) failed to consider and report on ALL the alternative options, including meeting transport needs through accelerated public transport investment and non-road-based options’.

FIE points out that ‘The scheme even failed to identify the carbon emissions resulting from the final proposals. The EIAR must include an estimate of the total kilometres driven, which cannot exceed 2009 levels without breaking commitments in the Smarter Travel Policy’.

‘We note with concern’, the FIE submission concluded, ‘that neither the Service Agreement nor the Climate Constraints listed in the project brief refer in any way to the likely level of increased carbon emissions or total kilometres travelled.’

Public consultation on the scheme closes today.

ENDS

Contacts:
Judy Osborne: 086 3699575
David Healy [Irish language] 087 6178852
FIE Office 027 74771

Submission:
https://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.org/Roads/FIE_response_to_N11M11_options_paper.pdf

Strategic Report
https://www.tii.ie/tii-library/strategic-planning/strategic-reports/M11_N11_Needs_Assessment_Report.pdf
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