Planning Permission for Shannon LNG Terminal
Submission by Tom Moore, Parents Association, Tarbert Comprehensive School
Ballycullane Lower,
Glin,
County Limerick
068 36236
087 6765891
11-11-2007
An Bord Plean�la,
64 Marlborough Street,
Dublin 1.
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you in relation to the proposed development by Shannon
LNG at Ralappane and Kilcolgan Lower, Tarbert , County Kerry. On behalf
of the parents of students attending Tarbert Comprehensive School, I
have been asked to express their concerns in relation to the proposed
development and the safe transfer of students to and from school.
Tarbert Comprehensive School is located on the first 500 metres of the
coastal road between Tarbert and Ballylongford which is the main access
route to the proposed development by Shannon LNG. This is the coastal
route, a narrow and winding road and one of the two roads that link the
two villages. Up to now this road was utilised mainly by the staff and
pupils attending the school and a small number of local residents. The
second road that links the two villages runs parallel to the coastal
route is a significantly better road and hence caters for the majority
of the traffic commuting between Tarbert and Ballylongford.
The school has in excess of 600 pupils, many of whom walk the short 500
metres distance from Tarbert village to the school. The majority are
transported by bus from the local catchment area and the balance, who
are inside the three mile area (and not automatically entitled to bus
transport), are dropped of and collected by parents with cars. As a
result the traffic on school days during 8:40 am and 9:00 am and 3:45
pm and 4:10 pm (2:00 on Wednesdays) is extremely busy with the transfer
of students. Up to now the situation was manageable and safe due to
negligible additional local traffic and with the majority of traffic
using the alternative road linking Tarbert and Ballylongford.
However if the proposed development by Shannon LNG was to advance to
the construction stage, we as parents fear the volume and scale of
traffic would increase significantly. Such a transformation would
ultimately impact on the safety of pupils during school drop off and
collection times.
Parents are not expressing these opinions to hinder the proposed
development but rather to highlight a potential danger. We feel a
safety audit would be the first step in relation to the situation and
may help in creating a safe and workable solution in the event of
planning being granted.
Yours sincerely,
Tom Moore.
Chairman of the Parents Association, Tarbert Comprehensive School
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