Most roads within the study area do not have pedestrian or cycling facilities, except in the urban areas that the Regional Roads pass through. This lack of provision, as well as narrow road widths and high vehicle speeds, particularly along the R173, means that there is limited opportunity for vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, persons with disability or reduced mobility) to utilise the road network other than by car.

This lack of connectivity is recognised in national policy, with the National Cycle Network Plan, NTA CycleConnects and in the Louth County Development Plan at local level. These identify that connectivity between Carlingford and Dundalk needs improvement for active modes of transport.

The greenway will provide dedicated pedestrian and cycle facilities through the Cooley Peninsula and will reconnect communities by active modes of transport. The provision of a greenway will significantly improve the safety of vulnerable road users on the Peninsula. The greenway connects to the existing Carlingford Lough Greenway, facilitating a continuous cross-border greenway from Dundalk in Co. Louth to Newry in County Down.

The project is currently in Phase 2 Option Selection, which has involved the development and assessment of feasible Route Corridor Options to determine an Emerging Preferred Route Corridor which is now being presented at this third public consultation.

According to the Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways (DTTAS, 2018), a greenway can be described as “a recreational or pedestrian corridor for non-motorised journeys, developed in an integrated manner which enhances both the environment and quality of life of the surrounding area”.

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The popularity of recently opened Greenways throughout Ireland demonstrates the many benefits that they can promote, including the provision of safe, substantially segregated walking and cycling infrastructure that makes it easier to visit friends, travel to school or work and to connect villages and towns.

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On a wider scale, Greenways are providing opportunities to experience Ireland’s beautiful countryside for both visitors and locals alike, contributing to Ireland’s health and wellbeing, enhancing local communities with opportunities for new and existing businesses, and offering sustainable alternatives for tourists and locals to access a hidden Ireland.

The project team are committed to fully consider any inputs from members of the public, such as submissions received through the public consultation process or through the identification of local issues. We would value any feedback which you think should be reviewed by the project team to help inform the development of the project. Please refer to Public Consultation section of this Project Website for information on how you can have your say.

Louth County Council has responsibility for planning and managing development within the study area. Planning applications and new developments may still be granted within the study area, however as some planning applications may affect the project, all relevant planning applications will be reviewed by the project team. Each planning application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Until the 1950’s, the Cooley Peninsula was served by the L&NWR railway service, which provided freight and passenger services from Dundalk to Newry. This railway had stations at Bellurgan, the Bush, Greenore, Carlingford, Omeath and Newry. The closure of the railway increased the disconnection between communities for those seeking to use public transport. The Dundalk Bay to Carlingford Greenway seeks to reconnect these communities by active modes of transport, to reduce the reliance on private vehicles for these journeys.

Currently there are no safe and accessible dedicated cycling facilities in the region, with the exception of the Carlingford Greenway, with most of the trails using the existing road network, such as the Whitestown Loop for example, sharing local roads with vehicular traffic.

The Dundalk Bay to Carlingford Greenway would therefore create safe leisure and recreational spaces and would open up opportunities for local residents, particularly those outside the main settlements, to engage in recreational walking and cycling with associated health benefits.

The project is currently at Phase 2 Option Selection, which has involved the development and assessment of feasible Route Corridor Options to identify a Preferred Option (PO).

Following the Route Corridor Options Public Consultation (Public Consultation No. 2) held in June 2024, the design team have taken on board the feedback received and undertaking additional surveys, studies and assessments of the options presented. These options were assessed and an Emerging Preferred Route Corridor (EPRC) was identified. The EPRC is shown on the mapping provided with the Public Consultation 3 material at this link.

The Emerging Preferred Route Corridor that is presented as part of this Public Consultation does not represent the actual width of the proposed greenway development or the lands required to facilitate the development. The corridor simply indicates the area within which a greenway alignment could feasibly be developed. Currently, the corridor is approximately 50m in width (although wider in a number of locations due to notable constraints and opportunities) and the proposed greenway will typically be 6-8m in width.

Each of the Route Corridor Options presented at Public Consultation No. 2 has undergone assessment in accordance with the Transport Appraisal Framework (TAF). This consisted of undertaking a Transport Accessibility Appraisal (TAA) under the six TAF criteria of:

• Local Environment;

• Climate;

• Safety;

• Land Use;

• Social;

• Accessibility

In addition to the TAA, an economic appraisal was undertaken of each option as part of the assessment.

Once each option was assessed, a pairwise comparison of routes was undertaken to identify an Emerging Preferred Route Corridor.

Full details of the appraisal will be contained within the Options Report that will be published following the finalisation of the Preferred Option.

The feedback received during Public Consultation No. 3 will help to inform the finalisation of the Preferred Option (PO), as part of Phase 2 (Option Selection). All feedback received during Public Consultation No. 3 will be carefully reviewed by the Project Team and any necessary improvements made.

There are currently several NTA funded Active Travel projects being developed by Louth County Council to address cyclist and pedestrian access within Dundalk. The proposed Greenway will connect to these projects to the north of Táin Bridge and in doing so allows for pedestrian and cyclist access within Dundalk to train services at Dundalk Clarke Station and the Bus Éireann station at The Long Walk. Further information on Active Travel projects within Dundalk can be found at Louth County Council's Online Consultation Portal - https://consult.louthcoco.ie/en

The route will be developed within the EPRC. This does not necessarily mean that the greenway route will require land acquisition from your property/agricultural land, however it could require the acquisition of land from your property or agricultural lands.

The greenway is not expected to require the acquisition of any house, but may require the acquisition of curtilage from the lands adjacent to the house requiring realignment of the property boundary wall/fence.

The Code of Best Practice for National and Regional Greenways (click here to access) promotes the use of Voluntary Land Acquisition Agreements as the preferred means of acquiring lands. Where private land acquisition is necessary following the selection of the Preferred Option, the Project Liaison Officer and Louth County Council will engage with individual landowners in an effort to agree upon a process that minimises the impact on their respective farm / property holdings and will seek to enter into Voluntary Land Acquisition Agreements where possible. The process of agreeing Voluntary Land Acquisition Agreements will be initiated in advance of Louth County Council making an application for planning consent.

An early sign-on payment will be paid by Louth County Council to the landowner once a Voluntary Agreement has been signed and the farmer’s / landowner’s Solicitor has provided satisfactory evidence that good title is available. This early sign-on payment, where applicable, will be over and above the negotiated land acquisition / compensation payment to be determined between the landowner and the project promoter due to the potential effects of the scheme on the landholding.

Where it does not prove possible to establish a Voluntary Land Acquisition Agreement, it may be necessary to compulsorily purchase the lands necessary for the scheme. This mechanism will, however, only be exercised as a last resort and in circumstances where for example:

• Voluntary Agreement cannot be reached between the parties following a comprehensive negotiations process.

• An economically feasible alternative route that meets the scheme objectives and the Five S criteria, as set out in the Code, does not exist.

• Legal title issues such as proof of ownership (clean title); unregistered land; ward of court; competing claims, etc.

Any landowner whose land is affected will be entitled to compensation in accordance with legislation and practice.

Now that the EPRC has been published, only those planning applications along, or immediately adjacent to the EPRC will be referred to the project team.

Each application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Louth County Development Plan.

Where space within the road corridor is available, the road space will be reallocated to accommodate the greenway within the existing road boundary. Where space constraints exist, the greenway may be located on the land side of the road boundary.

Below are a number of examples of where greenways are adjacent to the existing road network from schemes that have been constructed around the country.

Great Western Greenway – Westport to Newport

Tralee to Fenit Greenway

Lifford to Castlefinn (Before and After)

An Independent Agronomist has been engaged by Louth County Council to assist landowners through the project considering any relevant agronomy issues. Contact details of the Independent Agronomist are on the Contact page of the website.The Independent Agronomist will be made available to landowners to fully and fairly assess the impact of the proposed Greenway on their farms, business and other property types. The Independent Project / Property Advisor will assist in identifying a route which minimises the impact of the scheme on affected properties. The Project Agronomist / Property Advisor will also assist in agreeing upon appropriate accommodation works and access arrangements in consultation with the farmer / landowner Agronomist / Property Advisor.

The Project Liaison Officer(s) (PLO) will liaise and engage with affected parties or their representatives on any matters relating to the Greenway scheme including the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor. Contact details for the PLO are available on the project website.

Where necessary, fences shall be provided to assist in preventing trespass and for the protection of members of the public and animals. Fencing and boundary treatment will be discussed and agreed with the landowner and provided by Louth County Council. At a minimum, fencing will be stock proof (i.e. suitable for the containment of cattle and sheep) and will have regard to the farming activity carried out by the landowner at the date of land acquisition. Permanent fencing including crossing points, if required, will be erected / replaced with appropriate materials in each case.

Where any fences, walls, boundary treatments or hedges are damaged they will be made good and will be reinstated with similar materials at least as good as heretofore, in a timely manner. Boundary fences erected as part of the Greenway will be maintained by Louth County Council, unless otherwise agreed. The type of fencing will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis with each landowner and their representative. The type of boundary treatment will vary depending on land use.

Where a farmer / landowner needs access across the Greenway to severed land, Louth County Council shall provide a suitable means of crossing. The crossings will be designed to facilitate the movement of farm machinery and include a gated arrangement to allow the safe crossing of livestock. The farmer / landowner undertakes to ensure crossings are managed in a safe, efficient and timely manner. Greenway users should afford reasonable opportunity for this and not interfere with this activity.

Louth County Council will make every effort to avoid crossing any private access roads / driveways. Where a crossing is required, pedestrians and cyclists will give way to property owners using the private access road / driveway.

Louth County Council will indemnify the landowner against all actions, claims and demands arising from advanced surveys, investigation works and its acquisition of the land for the Greenway, for both the construction and operational phases of the scheme, other than claims arising from negligence or neglect on the part of the landowner.

The feedback received during Public Consultation No. 3 will help to inform the finalisation of the Preferred Option (PO), as part of Phase 2 (Option Selection). All feedback received during Public Consultation No. 3 will be carefully reviewed by the Project Team and any necessary improvements made.

Once the PO is finalised, the Preferred Option and accompanying Options Report will be published on the project website. The project will then seek approval to progress to the next stage, which is Phase 3 - Design and Environmental Evaluation.