Consultation event puts 'fake news' around Mayo county town's Mall to bed

THE 'fake news' around the proposed masterplan for the Mall in Castlebar has been called out at a local municipal district meeting.

A public consultation event on the enhancement - not transformation - of the town centrepiece was hailed for clearing up the misinformation circulating in the public domain.

The project seeks to address issues like drainage, damaged footpaths and ageing infrastructure while protecting what people love about the Mall.

Councillor Donna Sheridan said some of the articles she has read can only be described as 'fake news', about them doing this, that and the other, destroying the Mall and paving it from head to toe.

What was actually happening is they were asking people to come in and tell them what they want the council to do, and that would be taken on board.

She congratulated Paul Rodgers on his article, which was the most balanced and sensible of anything she had read.

They need to do drainage and fix the footpath, she said.

“None of us want to destroy the beating heart of the town.”

That wouldn't happen under her watch.

Councillor Ger Deere described having received abuse about what they are going to do.

It's basic stuff proposed, footpaths and drainage, to protect the Mall for future generations.

They didn't want to change what is a sacred spot, he said.

Thirty years ago a new tree line had been proposed, but it never happened. If it did, they'd have mature trees now.

Councillor Deere asked people to stop putting out false information.

People have concerns, he agreed, and he asked them to check the facts.

Municipal district head David Mellett agreed the amount of misinformation out there was 'frustrating'.

However, the non-statutory consultation event held in the TF Hotel had provided a lot of clarification.

* Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme