An Taisce has claimed local authorities and the National Roads Authority (NRA) could be exposed to compensation claims from persons injured in accidents arising from developments permitted inappropriately in areas outside speed limits.
The claim by An Taisce follows a decision by Bord Pleanála this week to refuse permission for an 80-bedroom hotel near Crossmolina, Co Mayo, partly on the grounds that it would "endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard" and because of the additional traffic-turning movements generated in areas where a 100km/h speed limit applied.
An Taisce said the decision raised serious questions about the competence of Mayo County Council, which initially approved the development, with regard to road safety.
It said the case again raised the question of why the NRA failed to appeal the decision of the council to grant permission for the development. The NRA was legally required under the planning Acts to ensure the safety and operational integrity of the national road network.
A spokesman for An Taisce said local authorities had been advised by both the Department of the Environment and the NRA about increased levels of traffic turning on to and off roads with 100km/h speed limits as a result of developments being authorised alongside them.
He said failure of the NRA to intervene in such cases had created huge traffic risks in some parts of the country.
An Taisce argued that town speed limits should be extended to cover areas where such roadside developments were authorised or that such developments be confined to towns and villages.
The spokesman for An Taisce said the NRA had only lodged appeals to Bord Pleanála over a small number of such developments.
A spokesman for Mayo County Council said it would examine the Bord Pleanála decision.
A NRA spokesman declined to comment. However NRA sources said in the past it had been criticised for intervening too often in planning applications.
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