'Wood works nothing to do with turbines - Keaney

The roadworks taking place on the Castlepollard to Mullingar road have nothing to do with preparing the route for the movement of wind turbines, according to a local councillor.

There has been much talk on social media sites in recent weeks that the roadworks and tree-clearing at Whitehall and between Crookedwood and Taughmon Church are to facilitate the transportation of the hundreds of industrial wind turbines, proposed for Westmeath.

However, according to Labour Party man Cllr Keaney the roadworks, which cost in the region of €70,000, “are to improve sight-lines for traffic especially for those coming out of the Galmoylestown Road near Taughmon Church”.

“There has been some speculation on social media sites that these works are to facilitate the movement of wind turbines in the area, but I can assure local residents that the works are to improve road safety on a busy road linking two major towns in the county. These road and sightline improvements have been looked for by residents in the area for many years and the work is to be welcomed,” he said.

At the last Coole Area meeting, Cllr Keaney's fellow representatives Frank McDermott (FG) and Paddy Hill (FF) echoed his sentiments saying that the works had been in the pipeline for a long time.

Cllr McDermott added that reports that the works had been completed in preparation for the transportation of wind turbines had been spread on social media by an "opportunist".