Road Maintenance

General Road Maintenance includes:

Hedge/Tree cutting;
Under Section 70 of the 1993 Roads Act landowners and occupiers of land are obliged to take all reasonable care to ensure that structures, trees, ditches, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not or could not become a danger to people using or working on a public road.
As landowner/occupier you are required to fell, cut, log, trim or remove such trees, ditches and hedges to prevent them from becoming a hazard to persons or property in the area. Examples of hazards include, dead or dying trees, ditches or hedges which interfere with traffic by blocking footpaths, obscuring road signs or obscuring a clear view of the road ahead.

Wildlife Act, 1976;
Under the Wildlife Act 1976, it is an offence to destroy vegetation growing in a hedge or ditch between the 1st March and 31st August each year.

Drainage;
Under Section 76 of the 1993 Roads Act landowners and occupiers of land are obliged to take all reasonable steps to ensure that water can drain off a public road onto their land and to ensure that water, soil or other materials do not escape from their land on to the road. Offenders are served a notice by the council which if not acted upon, which can lead to court action.

Flooding / Spillages;
All incidences of flooding or spillage on roads should be notified to the relevant area office immediately.

Winter Maintenance;
The council operates a programme of winter gritting on national routes and some of the regional road network.

Working near the Road Side;
Before a person scours, deepens, widens or fills in any existing drains, or digs any new drain within 15 metres (50 feet) of the nearest edge of a public road, he/she must first get written consent from Cork County Council, with the exception of the ordinary maintenance of drains which the landowner/occupier is required to carry out.
Works which would interfere with a bridge or any other structure, such as an embankment or retaining wall, which carries or supports a public road, must only be carried out with the consent of Cork Co. Council.
Cork County Council can immediately prohibit any activity mentioned above whereby damage is being caused or could be caused to a public road. It is an offence not to comply and the cost of repairing or preventing the damage can be recovered from the person carrying out the prohibited work or from the landowner.
Please contact Cork County Council Roads office before carrying out any substantial works near a public road to ensure that you comply with your legal obligations as outlined above and avoid potentially serious damage to the road.

Cork County Council Road Maintenance Section is also involved in;
Pot-hole Repairs/Road Re-Surfacing/Weed Control.
Trimming of Grass Verges.
Signage.
Cutting public open spaces/green areas.
Dangerous Roadside Trees/Structures.