Scheme Update
The Inspectors are currently considering all of the evidence and are expected to complete the Inspector’s Report, including their considerations and recommendations, towards the end of 2011.
The Department will then consider the Inspector’s Report and the recommendations along with any other evidence or issues before it and decide how to proceed. When the Department has made this decision, an appropriate Departmental Statement will be prepared. A copy of the Departmental Statement along with a copy of The Inspector’s Report (or the relevant section dealing with their objection) will be forwarded to each objector. At this stage, both the Departmental Statement and the Inspector’s Report will be available to the public on request and they will also be made available on the Department’s and the project websites. It is anticipated that the date for this will be early 2012. It is at this point that the Minister for Regional Development will make his decision on how the scheme progresses. Until such a time, Roads Service has to continue with its programme for delivery. As such Mouchel and the contractor joint ventures, as Roads Service’s agent, have to continue developing certain aspects of the scheme design.
Without prejudice to any outcome of the public inquiries, there is still a need for the project team to hold meetings with affected Landowners to discuss the effects on their land including access arrangements, accommodation works and, where appropriate, land which could alternatively be acquired temporarily by agreement should the scheme proceed. It is anticipated that members of the project team will be in contact with Landowners and Land Agents from late August 2011 with a view to scheduling these meetings.
In addition to the landowner meetings above, there are a number of non-intrusive site surveys which will need to continue over the coming weeks and months to enable the programme for delivery to be maintained. These include geophysical, well monitoring, watercourse and ecology surveys and you may be contacted regarding access for these. In fact, some landowners have already been contacted about access for the geophysical surveys. Please see the attached sheet for a brief explanation of the requirements of each of the surveys
The surveys will be undertaken by either Mouchel representatives or in the case of the geophysical survey by a specialist company, or by the Project Contractors. The appointed Contractors for each section are as follows:
- Section 1 from New Buildings to Sion Mills - Balfour Beatty/BAM/FP McCann Joint Venture
- Section 2 from Sion Mills to Omagh – Roadbridge/Sisk/PT McWilliams Joint Venture
- Section 3 from Omagh to South of Aughnacloy – Grahams/Farrans Joint Venture
These meetings and surveys are the next steps in the development of the scheme and there will be continued communication with the landowners as the scheme develops, although as stated above, this is without prejudice to the Inspectors’ Report and any future decision on the progress of the scheme.
We request that cordial communications continue as we look to resolving all aspects of the scheme and its effects on the communities.