There will be a serious accident there, Ellis

Cllr Caillian Ellis asked that the council improve the sight distance where local road no. L-16091 joins local road no. L-15671 at Cornageeha and was advised that a local road, cul de sac L-15671-0 intersects the Cloone to Drumlish road at Drumhass. 
"We will advise the local landowner to maintain his hedges/trees at this location which will provide proper safe sight lines," the response concluded. 

Cllr Ellis said he proposing the council "clear that road back to the bridge" and noted that on the Cloone side of the junction, there is an Eircom pole covered in ivy which he said could also be removed. 

He said people turning for Cornageerha "have to come into the middle of the road" in order to ensure there is no traffic coming. 

He said he believed there would be a serious accident there. 

His motion was supported by Cllr Ita Reynolds-Flynn who said it was "very dangerous" and that there is a high volume of traffic on the road. 

Leitrim County Council District Engineer, Darragh O'Boyle said to Cllr Ellis said that council need to be careful here "because you are asking us to go in and cut hedges on private property which we don't do and if we do it now, next year all I'll be doing is cutting hedges." 
He explained, "The process is that we write to the landowner formally suggesting he cuts his hedges and if there is no action within a few weeks, we send out a formal hedge cutting notice and he has 14 days to act."

Mr O'Boyle said that if he failed to act, the council cut the hedges and "bring him to court for the cost."

Cllr Brendan Barry said that in order to secure a hedge cutting grant, an applicant/applicants must have the signatures of all the landowners involved but this is "making it difficult for the community who are trying to do good and cut everyone's hedges." 
"People who won't cut their own hedges are complaining if someone else cuts them and that's leaving it harder on the community getting these grants whereas we should be making it as easy as possible for the community to apply for the grant," he said.

He said those with long-term leases should be able to sign in place of the landowners. "I think we should do everything to try and help the community get a grant as easily as possible," he added.

Cllr Gerry Dolan supported Cllr Barry's remarks. 

Chairperson Cllr Paddy O'Rourke asked how many "landowners we had to chase for the cost of cutting their hedges when they refused to do so" with Mr O'Boyle responding, "zero."