Planning Regulator is a 'dictator' claims Ballina councillor

A BALLINA councillor has described the Planning Regulator as a 'dictator' who should not be allowed to have the final say in the zoning of land for housing around Ballina.

Fianna Fáil councillor Annie Mae Reape made the comment at this morning's meeting of the Ballina Municipal District which was informed that the Draft Ballina Local Area Plan is currently on public display with the public open to make submissions until February 8.

The meeting heard that Ballina has been set a target of building 500 houses in the next five years of the local area plan and land has been zoned to facilitate that.

There has been disquiet among councillors in both Castlebar and Westport regarding the lack of input they have in their local area plan and Ballina councillors asked questioned if they will have any say in what is zoned or will the Planning Regulator have the final say.

“It is called the Local Area Plan and we are told it is our plan but that is farcical,” commented Cllr Reape. “It is a shocking state of affairs because it is the regulator's plan and it is anti development as far as I can see. People want to come back but there are no houses for them.

“We need houses in Ballina in every area of the town and we need lands rezoned. We have areas very suitable for building which have been dezoned. Those sites are all serviced so why does it have to go back to the Planning Regulator who is a dictator here. We are all told it is our plan but that is a farce,” she said.

Cllr Reape said that Mayo has become one of the most popular counties for people who wish to relocate from Dublin and that more land is needed for affordable housing.

The issue was initially raised by Crossmolina-based councillor Michael Loftus who said it seemed that the Local Area Plan was being forced on the councillors by the council.

“Will the input we put into it be listened to? Our power in relation to this seems to have been dimensioned and we don't seem to have the same influence in the local plan. There was more collaboration in the county development plan between the councillors and the council to come up with a plan that was acceptable to everyone but with this local area plan it seems that the county council is dictating to the councillors what is going to be developed and what isn't. It is unfair because there are certain areas of Ballina which have been taken out that were in before. I feel when you read what is in the local papers will our input be listened to,” the Fianna Fail councillor told the meeting.

The Draft Ballina Local Area Plan has been on public display since December 19 and an open day on the plan as well as the Local Transport Plan will take place in the Ballina Civic Offices on January 31.