Setback for Mayo county town as local area plan is rejected by minister

The new Castlebar Town and Environs Local Area Plan (2023-2028) has been rejected by the Minister for Local Government Darragh O'Brien.

He has issued his ruling today after adjustments and submissions were lodged by elected members and officials of Castlebar Municipal District some weeks ago.

He has now issued a number of directives to the authority in order for the matter to be resolved.

They include the provision of a clear core strategy table which sets out the area and quantum of housing to be delivered on lands zoned 'town centre, existing residential and new residential'.

They have been instructed to reinstate a number of zoning objectives from agriculture, enterprise and employment to 'new residential'.

The elected members have also been instructed to delete lands zoned as 'enterprise and employment' at Cloonagh, located to the southwest of Saleen Lake and to the immediate east of the rail line "and apply all necessary consequential updates to the text of the plan."

The plan in question was previously described as 'a failure' by the Office of the Planning Regulator.

It stated the plan failed to include an accurate core strategy table and, in particular, did not set out a table which estimates the quantum of housing that will be delivered on lands zoned existing residential, the quantum to be delivered on mixed use town centre and opportunity sites and the quantum to be delivered on lands zoned new residential.

Now the minister has more or less supported the OPR in its assessment.

With local elections due to take place on June 7, elected members of the Castlebar authority faces a race against time to complete the works that the minister has demanded.