Proposal to defer progress on Mayo county development plan

WORK on the new county development plan for Mayo should be deferred until rural housing guidelines are published by Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien.

Achill-based Councillor Paul McNamara made the proposal at a planning policy committee meeting today (Tuesday).

Rural Ireland, he said, has been thrown a 'lifeline due to Covid, with remote working and people working from home, and it was an opportunity to get people back living in rural parts of Mayo.

Councillor McNamara has concerns about 'obstacles' in the way of planning in rural areas. One example he cited was someone being able to buy a site but not being entitled to planning permission as they weren't from the locality.

Until they saw what guidelines were being published at government level, he suggested they seek ministerial permission not to progress the county plan any further.

His proposal was supported by committee members, with Councillor Ger Deere of the view that the necessity to have a link with an area to get planning permission was 'unconstitutional'.

Councillor Al McDonnell was encouraged by what he saw being proposed by Minister O'Brien's department and said he was hopeful there will be a definite policy of transferring people from densely populated area to far more sustainable places like Mayo.

Senior planner John McMyler said this would have to happen at a national level.

They were locked into the development plan process, he explained, and there was nothing in his remit where they could delay it.