By: Chris Ashmore
WHILE the future of a 90-year-old oak tree along the route of a new “active travel” cycling and pedestrian route being developed in the Ballyraine area of Letterkenny remains uncertain, the new project is set to bring plenty of colour and new vegetation to the area.
Under the plans for the new segregated pedestrian and cycling facilities between the Ballyraine and Creamery roundabouts – which will also see new signalised junctions – a total of 32 new semi-mature trees are set to be planted.
And there will also be 55 new shrubs, not to mention 3,980 bulbs of various varieties, a beech hedge, and an area of 190m2 planted with a mix of native Irish wildflowers.
Furthermore, there will be “raised planters” at the entrances to both Ballyraine Park and Orchard Grove and five park benches will also be installed.
The semi-mature trees will comprise six green spire, ten oak, ten crab-apple, two water-lily, two Norway maple and one Japanese maple and one autumn blaze tree.
Details of the planting proposals were contained in a document supplied to councillors at the October meeting of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Council on Tuesday.
It highlighted “the particular focus on providing a net gain with regards to biodiversity impact”
Significantly – amid all the publicity regarding the oak tree under threat in Ballyraine – the council produced a detailed report in relation to the works already done, and the rationale behind them.
According to the local authority, the N56 Letterkenny Urban Active Travel project is a vital project delivering improved safety, function, capacity and active travel facilities on the N56 through Letterkenny.
The planned works between the Polestar and Creamery roundabouts will not only provide essential improvements to the safety of vulnerable road users, it will also help address the major congestion issues in the area by improving the flow of traffic through two major junctions on the N56.
Significantly, the document explained that “the works immediately adjacent to the oak tree at Ballyraine park involve (the) provision of a segregated cycle lane and footpath, provision of an additional traffic lane for the new signalised junction at the Creamery roundabout and improved definition and safety of the access to Ballyraine Park.”
As part of the design process, the council has considered alternative options in the area with regard to retention of the oak tree.
However, “the required safe and effective infrastructure described above cannot be provided without major impact to the root structure of the oak tree. As a result, it is not possible to retain the tree and it must be removed.
“Any option involving the retention of the tree will significantly reduce the effective function of both the new junction and the safety and function of the pedestrian and cycle facilities. It would involve removing some of the major elements required to improve traffic flow at the Creamery junction for thousands of road users, and significant reduction of quality for other elements.
As such the current course of action was not taken lightly. A significant number of measures were included to mitigate the impact of the tree’s removal. To identify the most suitable measures, DCC has undertaken extensive consultation with all stakeholders involved with this project and continues to do so.”
It should be pointed out, though, that at Tuesday’s meeting an assurance was given by council officials that the oak tree at the centre of the controversy has, in effect, got a stay of execution – at least for the time being.
A meeting is set to be arranged between the council and residents to discuss matters further.
Meanwhile, the council has stated that it is its intention to harvest the acorns from the oak tree prior to removal and replant a number of them in the local area.
These acorns will also be offered to local residents who may wish to plant them themselves.
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