Ballinrobe prime development sites not rezoned

Ballinrobe prime development sites not rezoned


Edwin McGreal

The rezoning of some prime sites in the Ballinrobe area was fiercely contested at last Tuesday’s meeting of Mayo County Council where the County Development Plan 2014-2020 was adopted.
Three ‘opportunity sites’ or prime development sites in the town, two at Cranmore adjacent to Bowgate Street, and one off Convent Road backing onto New Street were listed as the three opportunity sites in the town in the previous development plan.
However two of the sites were changed to recreation/amenity sites in the 2014-2020 draft plan, which would forbid most developments from being constructed on those sites.
Cllr Michael Burke told the meeting that he and council colleagues Cllr Damien Ryan and Cllr Patsy O’Brien were previously informed by the council’s executive that the changing of these sites to recreation/amenity sites was ‘a typing error’ and would be corrected.
He said he received a commitment from the council that this would be changed. However, in the plan which appeared before councillors on Tuesday last, two of these three sites were no longer opportunity sites.
He said people had invested in property on these sites because they were opportunity sites but would no longer have the same value if they were rezoned to recreation/amenity sites.
County Manager Peter Hynes told the meeting that the corrections would be made and the sites will remain as opportunity sites.
Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday, Cllr Burke said that keeping these sites available for development is ‘vital’ for the town, especially the town sites located side by side at the old Cranmore House.
“There are plans for Cranmore going forward. It is where the action will be. There was a prospect of a hotel there in the past and if there was to be a hotel or leisure type development in the future, that would be the most suitable location,” said Cllr Burke.