Planning battle over future of Mayo rural housing escalates

The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke, has issued a direction to elected members of Mayo County Council to amend its recently-adopted development plan.

He has cited the fact that material amendments to the core strategy of the documents "are not consistent with national and regional planning policy and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."

A public consultation process has now opened in respect of the minister's decision and the timeline for submissions and observations to Mayo County Council, The Mall, Castlebar, is from next Monday, August 22, to 4 p.m. on September 5.

The public notice in respect of the public consultation is published in this week's issue of The Connaught Telegraph.

The key matter in dispute relates to the failure by the council to implement a recommendation by the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) to ban residential development along all roads in the county leading to national primary and secondary routes in order to ensure greater road safety.

The councillors rejected it on the grounds that it would render useless hundreds of acres of family-owned lands on which to build houses at a time of an unprecedented housing crisis.

Other matters in dispute have also been outlined in the public notice.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne called on member of the public to make submissions on the matter if they are in agreement with the decision of the councillors.

"What's proposed by the OPR, and supported by the minister of state, will have far-reaching consequences for the county's rural communities and we will continue to fight tooth and nail to oppose it," he added.

See comment: A rural housing dispute Mayo simply cannot afford to lose