The Green Party has raised serious concerns over the imminent demolition of what the Party believes is a possible National Monument in Kilkenny City. The buildings in Vicar Street in the historic Irishtown area of the city are believed to contain substantial medieval fabric and a 'base batter' indicating significant archaeological importance. Numbers 21 and 22 Vicar Street were compulsory purchased by Kilkenny County Council for demolition to open the street up for the development of the controversial Central Access Scheme and bridge crossing over the river Nore at the Diageo Brewery Site linking it to a brownfield site on the other side of the river for retail development.

At a meeting of Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Borough Council, Green Party Environment Spokesperson Councillor Malcolm Noonan raised the concerns of heritage and community groups in the city that demolition of the building could be in breach of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2012. He sought clarification from the County Manager if an archaeological assessment carried out in 2008 as part of the EIS process for the Central Access Scheme was in compliance with current legislation and stated that a new EIS and Ministerial Consent were now required to proceed with the demolition of the buildings.

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It was also pointed out to members at the meeting that the cost of the project had escalated by €2.2m since February from an estimated €8.5m to €10.7m due to 'unforeseen circumstances' during site work. Councillor Noonan said that the costs were likely to be significantly higher given the archaeological sensitivity of the area and that completing the Northern Ring Road Extension represented better value for money, as it would remove through traffic from the historic city centre and residential areas.

Councillor Noonan is the only member of Kilkenny County Council to have opposed the Central Access Scheme, first devised in the 1980s as an 'Inner Relief Road'. He gave evidence during the An Bord Pleanála Oral Hearing in 2008 citing the project as an outdated and excessive road engineering solution to urban planning. The city 'spur' and bridge crossing were the only sections granted permission following a revised EIS in December 2011, meaning that two connecting spurs that would have diverted traffic away from some residential areas, were refused. Since then a group of concerned residents, community interests, heritage groups (including An Taisce) and Councillor Noonan have been campaigning to prioritise the completion of the Northern Ring Road Extension which, in their view, would close the loop and negate whatever perceived rationale for the CAS.

Cllr Noonan said: "Our campaign to stop this destruction is at a critical juncture; the medieval remnants on Vicar Street are on death row and we are pleading for a reprieve until we know for certain their extent and condition. The irony of all of this is that the demolition will take place not one hundred metres from the route of the Fáilte Ireland funded 'Medieval Mile' tourism interpretation project."

(CD/MH)