Public urged to make submissions on Castlebar Local Area Plan

MEMBERS of the public are invited to have their say on the Castlebar Local Area Plan (LAP).

It is back out for further consultation after the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) instructed members of the Castlebar Municipal District to adjust the plan over a 'failure' in its future housing strategy.

In a discussion on the matter, councillors blasted what they described as 'fake headlines' around the issue.

The two-week public consultation period opened on January 30 and closes on February 13 and local councillors, at their monthly meeting yesterday, urged the public to get their submissions in.

A report from the council's chief executive will then be compiled on the submissions, with recommendations as to how the draft direction received from the minister on the matter should be addressed. The plan then goes back to the OPR and minister, with a direction to be issued by mid-May at the latest.

Noting how people have an opportunity to have their say, Councillor Michael Kilcoyne said members had followed the procedure correctly but it seemed some people do not understand that it is the minister who has the final say.

Councillor Cyril Burke said it was important the public understand the regulator gives guidelines to planners and when the draft plan was drafted, councillors had no input into it until afterwards.

When they framed the draft, a lot of land zoned high density in the town centre, medium and low on the outskirts of town was dezoned and they drafted a new plan, existing residential, new residential and residential reserve.

There is a lot less land zoned now than originally and that really had nothing to do with them as councillors.

In effect what they were trying to do in their plan was to rezone some of that land but the regulator didn't agree with that and that was why he made his statement in the press in relation to how they carried out their duties.

“I think we were as fair as we could with everyone,” stated Councillor Burke.

There is a lot of confusion, said Councillor Ger Deere, who added that he took exception to a 'potential candidate' who said they 'made a hash of it'.

They had put hours into this and listened to people's views to come up with the best plan they could.

'Fake news' is how Councillor Donna Sheridan described the particular headline.

The members had sat together and decided what they wanted and put forward an agreed proposal for the plan. They tried their damnedest to ensure there is enough land zoned for housing.

“Fake headlines, and it's not the first time we have seen it.”

It was disingenuous to the work they do collectively.

The point was made by Councillor Blackie Gavin that the land they zoned was serviced patches on the environs to provide housing. All the infrastructure was there.

Councillor Kilcoyne said this showed again that it is the 'mandarins up in Dublin' in the civil service who are really making the decisions.