Councillors opposed to 2,000 houses in Wicklow

Wicklow County Councillors yesterday rejected a consultants' report which recommends the rezoning of land for an additional 2,000 houses in north Co Wicklow. The report forms the basis of the draft county development plan on the Greystones/Delgany area, which is due to go on public display next March.

Central to the report, prepared by consultants Kiaran O'Malley, Fergal MacCabe and Brian Meehan, is rezoning of land at Coolegad, Farrankelly and Charlesland. The plan would entail doubling the population of Greystones/Delgany by 2016.

Proposing that the consultants redraft the report to restrict zoned land to the 1989 development plan, Cllr George Jones (Fine Gael) said: "The whole strategy seems to be to find the £15 million needed to fund the roads we should have got in 1989."

Cllr Jones added that the road network and schools in the area were already inadequate and he rejected the implication that another 2,000 houses would have to be provided before new infrastructure is put in place.

He claimed that the county manager had confirmed it was not intended to add infrastructural improvements apart from roads, regardless of whether the 2,000 houses were built.

"There is one second-level school for a population of 10,000 people, a half a health centre and one pub licence in the area." Insisting that the report not even go on display, Mr Jones said the plans should be sent back to drop the rezoning.

Other amendments to the report sought by the councillor included provision for an industrial park and restrictive development to allow for a compromise marina project at Greystones Harbour.

Also rejecting the report, Mr Dick Roche TD (Fianna Fail) said the proposal to charge a development levy of £5,000 per house would impose a tax on buyers. "This has been tried in Blessington and doesn't do anything for anybody, but makes it impossible for young couples from the area to buy houses."

Cllr Tommy Cullen (Labour) said the council had the power to make millionaires and should treat this power very seriously.

Mr Liam Kavanagh (Labour) said a similar situation had developed in Wicklow town over the last 10 years as a result of private housing development "and it should be clear to all of us that it is unacceptable."

Wicklow's deputy county manager, Mr Hubert Fitzpatrick, argued that no housing would be available until the roads were in place and he described the plan as "sustainable development".

However, the councillors voted 13-4 to ask the consultants to redraft the plan, keeping housing development in line with the 1989 plan.