The National Transport Authority has said that it will consider any future funding application for the Ballyhaunis Active Travel Scheme, which was previously funded but did not proceed beyond its preliminary design stage.
According to a local media report, councillors recently complained about the lack of progress on the project in the town.
The NTA has said that it was not satisfied that the project, as proposals, sufficiently addressed the evident need for active travel in the town.
Mayo County Council told this website that any new proposal would need to be part of an overall transport plan, and it said that the National Transport Authority has indicated that its “main focus of Active Travel investment is, more often than not, in locations with the greatest potential modal shift to active travel”.
A spokesperson for the National Transport Authority (NTA) said: “NTA Active Travel allocations are granted on an annual basis for drawdown within each financial year. As projects progress through the phases additional allocations are provided each year, for works within that year.”
“As the active travel programme has grown and all of the budget is drawn down each year (2022 and 2023) there is no scope to have projects that do not make progress to be retained on the programme, as this uses an allocation that could be used to build infrastructure elsewhere,” the NTA spokesperson said.
“In relation to the Ballyhaunis Active Travel Scheme, the NTA was unable to grant gateway approval to Mayo County Council to further progress the scheme in its presented form (in 2023), as we were not satisfied that the scheme proposals, as then formulated, sufficiently addressed the evident needs. Therefore, the scheme was not sufficiently advanced to provide an allocation for 2024 as it would not be used within the year,” the spokesperson added.
They added: “The NTA is willing to engage further with Mayo County Council on this scheme and should they wish to submit an updated proposal, we will consider it at that stage for a future years allocation.”
Mayo County Council said that in Q4 of 2021 that it identified a need for Active Travel Infrastructure along the N60 Ballinlough Road in Ballyhaunis and then presented this need to the National Transport Authority (NTA).
Cathy Mellett, a senior executive engineer in the Active Travel section of the council, said: “The Project scope and purpose was discussed and agreed by both parties. Mayo County Council then sought funding for the Project and the NTA approved an allocation of €160,000 under the 2022 Active Travel Grant (now known as the Active Travel Investment Programme) for MO.22.0017 Ballyhaunis Active Travel Scheme.”
Mellett said: “Due to the volume of work under the Active Travel Programme along with Mayo County Council resources, Scheme phases were not progressed in 2022.”
“In Q4 2022, the Project scope and purpose was again discussed and agreed by Mayo County Council and NTA. Mayo County Council sought funding for the Project for 2023 and the NTA approved an allocation of €110,000 under the 2023 Active Travel Investment Programme. In Q1 2023, Mayo County Council progressed Phase 3 of the Project – Preliminary Design. In September 2023 a Draft Preliminary Design was forwarded to the NTA,” she said.
Mellett said: “On October 5th, 2023, Mayo County Council were informed that the National Transport Authority were unable to fully fund all proposed Active Travel projects and had to prioritise certain projects over others in order to remain within its allocated budget. Mayo County Council were informed that every funding application was given due consideration.”
She said: “The NTA explained that the main focus of Active Travel investment is, more often than not, in locations with the greatest potential modal shift to active travel. The NTA determined that it was no longer appropriate to progress MO.22.0017 – Ballyhaunis Active Travel Scheme in its current format.”
“Active Travel Projects are funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Active Travel investment programme. For a project to be eligible for funding under this Programme, the Project must be proposed as part of an overall plan e.g. Local Transport Plan, Safe Routes To School (SRTS) Outline Delivery Plan, Active Travel Plan,” Mellett said.
She added: “An Active Travel Plan for Ballyhaunis would provide a gateway to funding under the Active Travel Investment Programme. Mayo County Council are currently awaiting direction from the NTA with regards structure and development of Active Travel Plans. The council will continue to engage with the NTA to enable the provision of active travel infrastructure within and around Ballyhaunis Town.”