Barrett hits back at ‘fake news’ comments from Castlebar councillors

AN Independent councillor has described as ‘pathetic’ comments by some sitting Castlebar councillors who criticised him for his comments on their handling of the Castlebar Local Area Plan.

The war of words between Harry Barrett, a former Castlebar Town Councillor and an Independent candidate in June’s local elections, and current councillors has started over the handling of the Castlebar Local Area Plan.

In January, Mr Barrett accused the current councillors in the Castlebar Municipal District of ‘a shocking dereliction of duty’ after the Office of The Planning Regulator (OPR) asked for a number of adjustments to the Castlebar Local Area Plan after councillors zoned extra land for housing.

At last week’s monthly meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District, some councillors took exception to these comments, with one councillor accusing him of engaging in ‘fake news’. 

In response, Mr Barrett said he was being factual and honest and the councillors were attacking him because they know they ‘messed up’ the plan.

“They are attacking me because they got it completely wrong on the eve of a local election. Their absolute abject failure to put together a proper strategy for Castlebar in the middle of a major housing crisis. When the OPR says that it is a failure in a housing strategy, that is a damning indictment for sitting councillors in the Castlebar Municipal District.

Best practice

“I am saying do the right thing for Castlebar and develop from the town centre out. We want the local businesses to thrive and people to have access to services and that is the best practice. I am being honest and factual.

“They are now using Trumpian language to attack me which says a lot. What does fake news mean now?  I just want to be honest and factual and I am quoting from the report and giving instances where the report says they messed up and they have messed up,” he told The Mayo News.

Mr Barrett said the councillors zoned land in excess of what is required regarding the housing targets as set out in the Mayo County Development Plan which he says the same councillors voted for.

“The thing is this Minister, who Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors support, said the report is a failure due to its non-adherence to the county development plan and local planning. Their own minister said it doesn't cut the mustard.

“The people of the town want housing but they don’t want their families pushing buggies into town where there is no footpath. I quoted from the report at all times and I am being branded as a fake news merchant. I am the only candidate calling for a town centred approach which needs to be done for Castlebar and what proper planning would say,” he added.

The Office of The Planning Regulator had taken issue with a number of sites in Castlebar zoned as ‘new residential in peripheral and non-sequential locations, and predominantly outside the CSO boundary of the town’.

Ministerial letter

IN a letter to the Castlebar Municipal District, Minister for Local Government, Darragh O’Brien TD, has said that the local area plan is not compliant with national guidelines or the existing Mayo County Development Plan.

The Minister issued a draft direction in relation to the plan on January 16 and the public have until February 13 to make submissions on the plan.

The municipal district meeting heard that Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council will then report on the submissions received and this will be issued to the OPR and the Minister on March 12.

The OPR then has until April 2 to make recommendations to the Minister who in turn will have until May 14 to issue a direction on the plan.

Speaking at last week’s meeting, Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere said he ‘took exception’ to comments made by ‘a former councillor’ and ‘a potential candidate’ regarding the plan and that all the councillors had ‘come up with the best plan we could’.

His party colleague Donna Sheridan agreed, saying that as councillors they tried their ‘damndest’ to ensure land was zoned for housing and accused Mr Barrett of engaging in fake news.

‘Disingenuous’

“To have a big headline and rubbish like this and it is not the first time we have seen it. I have seen a lot of fake headlines from people who try to get themselves airtime and it is really disingenuous to the general public. It is very disingenuous to the work we do here and the work we do collectively as a group for the positive development of this town,” she said.

Fianna Fail councillor Blackie Gavin described how frustrating it is for councillors to put long hours into the plan and for the planning regulator to ‘throw the lot to one side’.

Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne said that the public can now make submissions and commented that ‘some people who are very fond of writing and making statements’ have the opportunity to have their say.

Cllr Kilcoyne added that the process showed that the power has been taken away from local councillors and ‘mandarins in Dublin’ have the final say.