That Roscommon County Council extend the verge trimming programme to include all national secondary and local roads, to maximise the Health and Safety of all road users including pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

Section 70 (2) (a) of the Roads Act 1993 states the obligation of land owners under the act, and while Section 22 of the Wildlife Act of 1976 does state restrictions on hedge cutting, this does not however include verge trimming,

The safety of our road users takes precedent, and we must work together to make all our road safer.

That Roscommon County Council extend the verge trimming programme to include all national secondary and local roads, to maximise the Health and Safety of all road users including pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

Section 70 (2) (a) of the Roads Act 1993 states the obligation of land owners under the act, and while Section 22 of the Wildlife Act of 1976 does state restrictions on hedge cutting, this does not however include verge trimming.  The safety of our road users takes precedent, and we must work together to make all our road safer.

The Meetings Administrator read the following reply:

Roscommon County Council undertakes a comprehensive verge maintenance programme across the county, which is managed in two key areas:

1. Roads that are part of the Annual Roadworks Programme.

2. Other roads prioritised based on risk.

Under the second area, we focus on locations with high traffic volumes or specific hazards, such as bends, road signs, and junction sightlines. Issues reported through the Report-IT system are reviewed, and action is taken if they meet these criteria or, in other cases, when resources allow. Due to limited resources and environmental regulations during the summer, Roscommon County Council is unable to maintain all verges and hedgerows.

When resources do not allow for extensive verge maintenance, the Council may issue a notice to landowners, directing them to address any roadside hazards.

Proposing the motion, Cllr. Frain acknowledged the significance of the Wildlife Act, but confirmed that verge trimming is of huge importance in the summer months. The issue is raised on a daily basis to Councillors and needs to be looked at for next year.

Members supported the motion and raised the following points:

• Widespread issue throughout the county and that County Leitrim use a community type model which appears to be effective.
• The onus is on farmers to cut their hedges and suggested that the Council get involved in talks with IFA to negotiate with farmers.
• Funding from property tax should be used to alleviate the issue in rural areas.
• Importance of maintenance to encourage people to be active outside.
• The Cathaoirleach Cllr. Fitzmaurice said there are two issues to be addressed; verges are trimmed too late especially on local roads and suggested the introduction of a database to record which verges are cut annually.

A/Director of Services, Greg O’Donnell noted that there are 4000km of roads in Co. Roscommon and it is not feasible to get these all cut every year, and the Council needs to prioritise the key areas to be cut.  It is hoped that proposed new method of procurement of price per KM rather than price per hour will deliver benefits in efficiencies.

Verge trimming focusses on road safety issues on sightlines and safety at junctions.  This balances available funding, whilst also supporting the biodiversity in the County, by letting verges grow if not causing a road safety issue.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Frain

SECONDED by Cllr. Scahill

It was AGREED that that Council extend the verge trimming programme as much as possible to maximise the Health and Safety of all road users including pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Waldron

SECONDED by Cllr. Ward

It was AGREED that the Council would investigate a community type model, similar to County Leitrim.