Clones Town Council has arranged a meeting with officials from Waterways Ireland to get an update regarding the refurbishment of the Ulster Canal.

The issue was raised by Mayor Deirdre Kelly at this week’s meeting of the local authority. Plans are believed to be at an advanced stage for the restoration of the first spur of the canal from Wattlebridge in Fermanagh to Clones within the next few years. When the debate began Sinn Féin councillor Pat Treanor told the meeting that he had spoken to Mr Nigel Russell, the Technical Services Officer of Waterways Ireland recently and he was informed  that negotiations with local landowners and interested parties were ongoing.

Councillor Treanor said that he understood from Mr Russell that they were putting in place a schedule for two public consultation days and an environmental impact study. He felt it may be better to leave the matter until the current negotiations were completed. Cllr Treanor then proposed that the matter should be left until after the Town Council’s summer recess and revisited with a meeting in September. He said he understood that by that time Waterways Ireland would have more information available. He also proposed that as Clones Regeneration Partnership were bringing a worker on board in coming weeks it would be advisable that they and Clones Community Forum would be present at the meeting.