Council officials deny bias in zoning land for housing in Westport

Senior officials in Mayo County Council have denied any suggestion of bias when zoning council owned land at the expense of privately owned land for residential use in Westport.

The zoning of council owned land on the Lodge Road in Westport was questioned by local councillors when discussing the Draft Westport Local Area Plan 2024-2030 after it emerged that some sites closer to the town centre were dezoned.

The meeting to discuss the draft plan heard that 22 hectares of land in Westport has been zoned for housing and to exceed that amount may result in it being rejected by the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR).

The inclusion of the Lodge Road site, which is just under one hectare, located close to the NCT centre in Westport was referenced by the OPR when the draft plan went on public display but it remained in the draft plan.

Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn suggested that as councillors they are being asked to approve council land for zoning at the expense of private land in a better location.

“One thing the OPR has talked about is the bias towards council owned land and to the detriment of private owners,” he said, adding that he was not comfortable with that perception.

Independent councillor Christy Hyland concurred saying that he could not understand why the land along the Lodge Road was zoned ahead of other more suitable sites.

“Do you realise how it looks? The council is zoning their own land but they are dezoning yours. I won't have any hand act or part in that. It smells to high heavens,” he said.

However, John McMyler, Senior Planner with Mayo County Council said the site is serviced and suitable for housing and the council also have an obligation to provide for social housing.

“You may disagree with us on these sites but they will be part of our annual programme regarding providing public housing and that is being blunt with you,” he commented.

Catherine McConnell, the Director of Services with responsibility for planning also rejected any suggestion of bias saying that it was one of only two council owned sites which was being zoned.

“They are the only two portions of land which Mayo County Council own in this local area plan boundary that we can justifiably put forward as being suitable for residential development. It is less than 10 percent of the quantum of zoned land. The idea that there is bias towards our own land is unfounded by the facts. There is less than two hectares out of 22 which is council land being zoned. We have an absolute moral obligation that land for social and affordable housing are appropriately zoned so they can be delivered in the lifespan of this plan,” she said.

Cllr Flynn rejected the response saying that 20 percent of units in private housing developments can be assigned for social and affordable housing and there was no need to zone the Lodge Road site at the expense of other sites.

“We have had lands closer to town and if we hand over all this land we will penalise private owners and that is the bottom line,” he claimed.

“I have great difficulty rezoning land down the Lodge Road while penalising private owners with land right in the middle of the town centre. It really is wrong and simple as that. We are the directors of the organisation and can't be seen to be favouring ourselves in terms of developing a development plan,” he concluded.