No progress on SDZ designation at former Asahi site in north Mayo

PROGRESS - or lack thereof - on seeking Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) designation at the former Asahi plant in north Mayo has left a local councillor unhappy.

Mayo County Council was requested to provide a report on what progress has been made in exploring the feasibility of seeking the designation of the former Asahi plant and adjoining lands outside of Killala as a SDZ, which is an objective in the county development plan.

But Councillor Jarlath Munnelly was not happy with the response he received.

SDZs, he was told, are to be replaced by Urban Development Zones (UDZ). However, legislation to bring them into operation has still not been enacted.

Sites already designated as SDZs will continue, unless the designation is revoked. And new SDZs cannot be designated unless ancillary to existing designated sites.

The new planning legislation was signed into law last October but it not yet in force. The process of bringing legislation into force is expected to take at least 18 months.

New planning regulations are required for the implementation and have not yet been produced to date.

Councillor Munnelly said this objective is part of the county development plan and it should be worked on by the council.

However the council has done nothing and isn't going to do anything is what the report was saying, he commented.

This was all about exploring the feasibility of this site and what can be done, he said.

It has enormous capacity but instead they were not doing anything.

“I want a reply saying what we are going to do and what are our plans,” he stated, while also noting how the council itself owns land there and could benefit from this, instead of citing an Act that hasn't been enacted yet.