FEATURED REPORT

Park / Carcur

Public accountability report concerning the proposed second Slaney bridge crossing, associated road infrastructure, and related planning issues in Wexford.

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Introduction

For many years Martin Power has observed the long-standing town plan objective to provide a new bridge crossing over the River Slaney from Park / Carcur to Crosstown in order to ease traffic congestion in Wexford Town and beyond.

The 2002 and 2009 town plans envisaged this broader infrastructure objective. While an Inner Relief Road was constructed from Newtown Road through Carriglawn and Ballyboggan up to the Seamus Kelly Roundabout, the present route from that roundabout towards the proposed new crossing does not appear to have been built to Inner Relief Road standard.

The purpose of this report is to identify the principal irregularities, clarify the planning and infrastructure issues, and highlight the questions that remain unanswered.

Key Points Summary

The 2002 Wexford Town Plan identified the Park / Carcur to Crosstown route as a T5 objective.
A Park / Carcur Action Plan was approved on 3rd March 2003.
Wexford County Council commenced a Part 8 planning process on 5th July 2006 for the roundabout and road.
The map attached to that process appears not to show the railway bridge.
The 2009 town plan appears to show a different route from the 2006 planning material.
The access road later built from the Seamus Kelly Roundabout does not appear to be to Inner Relief Road standard.
The 413-house development was advanced on the basis of access arrangements that did not themselves form part of that housing application.
The railway overbridge design shows a 6.0 metre carriageway, which raises serious questions as to whether it can facilitate the intended wider bridge objective.
Public bodies have repeatedly said planning for the railway bridge is already in place, but the planning basis for that position remains unclear.

Why This Issue Matters

This is not simply a technical planning query. The Park / Carcur lands were intended to play a major role in resolving traffic congestion, facilitating a second Slaney crossing, and enabling substantial housing development. If the road and railway infrastructure have not been planned or delivered in a way that is compatible with those objectives, the public is entitled to a clear explanation.

Core Irregularities

The newer reports raise a central issue: whether the railway overbridge was ever validly included in the 2006 Part 8 process. Report 6 states that the map attached to the Part 8 application showed the roundabout and road, but not the railway bridge, and further indicates that the design details, road alignment, and related investigations were still being worked out after the public consultation period.

If that analysis is correct, then serious questions arise as to whether the Part 8 process validly covered the bridge at all, and whether later assumptions about planning status were mistaken.

Separate but related issues also arise concerning the old landfill, the width and alignment of the access road, the route shown in the 2009 plan, and whether the current railway bridge design is capable of supporting the wider bridge objective envisaged in the town plans.

Current Position

Report 7 indicates that by late 2025 the planning permission for the 413-house development had expired or was at the point of expiry, and that an application for an extension of time was made on 17th December 2025. It also records that the bridge drawings approved in principle by Iarnród Éireann showed a 6.0 metre carriageway and had been designed by Wexford County Council and its consultants.

Taken together, the reports suggest a continuing lack of clarity as to what planning is actually in place for the bridge and whether the current infrastructure can deliver the long-promised Park / Carcur to Crosstown bridge route.

Questions Requiring Answers

Was the railway overbridge ever properly included in the 2006 Part 8 planning process?
Why does the 2009 town plan appear to show a route different from the 2006 planning material?
Why was the access road built to a standard that appears inconsistent with an Inner Relief Road?
Was any part of the landfill removed as previously envisaged, and if not, what impact did that have on the road layout?
What planning permission is actually relied upon for the railway overbridge?
Can the current 6.0 metre bridge design facilitate the long-stated objective of a second Slaney crossing?
What is the current overall plan for the Park / Carcur lands and associated infrastructure?

Supporting Documents

The supporting documents for this report are listed below.

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