The cross-Border body Waterways Ireland has abandoned controversial plans to build a £1 million (€1.5 million) regional headquarters on a riverside site in Carrick-on-Shannon, following a storm of protest from local residents.
Yesterday's announcement was met with jubilation in the town, where around 2,000 people had signed a petition pleading with Waterways Ireland not to build on the last remaining riverside amenity .
The north-south body confirmed that it will now ask the Office of Public Works to locate another site in Carrick for the regional office expected to accommodate up to 25 staff.
At a press conference, John Martin, chief executive of Waterways Ireland, said that given the opposition and "a number of other factors", a decision had been made not to proceed with the building at Cortober on the Roscommon side of the town.
Damien Duignan, spokesman for the residents, said the body responsible for promoting the Shannon should not be blocking the last remaining view of the river in Carrick. The proposed site, known locally as The Plantation or The Ramps, has been a popular amenity for generations of Carrick on Shannon families.
