The Roads Service has deferred plans yet again for the development of the Cherrymount Link Road on the same day it ironically announced that progress was being made on road investment totalling £6.4m in the Fermanagh District Council area.

Members of the Council's Development Committee were told by Roads Service at a meeting on Monday night that the Cherrymount Link Road proposal would not begin until 2011 and won't likely to be completed until 2013-due to the current financial difficulties within government at Executive level.

The link road, estimated at £5.6m, would see traffic from the existing Cherrymount Road/Cornagrade Road Roundabout in the North of Enniskillen connect on to the Tempo Road in the East, which links to the A4 Dublin Road without having to converge at Gaol Square-one of the busiest areas in Enniskillen.

The "very disappointing" announcement comes despite Roads Service confirming that land for the construction of Cherrymount Link Road has been acquired and that the Minister is "committed to the completion of this worthwhile project." "He may be committed but it will take at least three years before we see any major developments," said SDLP Councillor Frank Britton.

"We were told last year and the previous year that work is about to begin but it's always pushed back. The Minister has cut back on the amount of money allocated to roads in Fermanagh and the town is being side-lined once again. Even Roads Service locally believed this money would have been released for work to begin this financial year-but allocation has not materialised and it's very disappointing," he said.

The Cherrymount Link Road is included in the Fermanagh Area Plan 2007 and a public consultation in the same year approved the preferred alignment highlighting that it would bring significant benefits in reducing traffic congestion to the centre of the town.

"Over £300m is being invested in the new south west hospital and that's going to be developed on time and now Roads Service have told us they can't deliver a new stretch of road that's just over a mile and a half road along the edge of the town. This scheme has been put on the long-finger yet again and its needs to be done as soon as possible to try and solve some of the town's traffic problems. Money is tight for roads in general and other things could potentially suffer down the line so these cutbacks are not a good omen," Councillor Britton continued.

UUP Councillor Tom Elliott described the news as "frustrating" and fears they could be told the same thing again when 2011 comes around.