A Waterford businessman has criticised residents and public representatives in the seaside town of Tramore over their lack of vision when it comes to its development.
Mr Paul Jackman said the situation was so bad that the town may need to be renamed "Staticville".
Mr Jackman was responding to a decision by An Bord Pleanála to overturn planning permission granted by Waterford County Council for a development involving the conversion of two houses adjacent to The Vic public house at Queen Street, Tramore, which is owned by Mr Jackman.
The planning appeals board cited parking problems and the loss of an unused but historic racquet court among the reasons for its decision.
Mr Donncha Ó Maidín, Queen Street, Tramore, and eight others appealed against the decision made in July 2002 by Waterford County Council to grant conditional permission to Davanfield Ltd for a development involving the construction of four three-storey townhouses, retail units and storage space at 10 and 11 Queen Street, Tramore.
An Bord Pleanála said the proposed development would conflict with the policy of the planning authority. It said the development would give rise to additional parking on Queen Street which would endanger public safety.
However, Mr Jackman said parking was a problem in the area and this project would not have made any difference. "Both these houses are idle and could take up to 15 people if occupied," he claimed. "Parking is always an issue in the centre of Tramore, especially in recent times and not just with this particular application.
"I had planned to redevelop The Vic and the whole idea was to do a collective development of the whole site including the properties next door," Mr Jackman added.
"There was going to be an archway between the development and The Vic, from which you could see the sea so it even had a positive effect. You could have seen the sea from Queen Street and this would give it a link to the natural amenity we have.
"This is just another expression of Tramore not wishing to move forward. Really what we should be doing is campaigning to call Tramore 'Staticville' as it just does not wish to move. There is nothing but objections to practically every planning application I see going in."
Mr Jackman also dismissed the An Bord Pleanála ruling that the development, which would include partial demolition of a racquetball court, would result in the loss of building fabric of historical interest. "The court hasn't been used since 1979," he said. "About seven years ago we had to take eight feet off the wall to make it safe, there are four trees growing inside and it is full of rubbish.
"There is just rubble and no access. It may be of historical significance but that doesn't justify holding on to it in its present condition."
Town councillor Ms Maureen O'Carroll expressed astonishment at Mr Jackman's attitude and said a number of developments in which he was involved had gone ahead. However, she stressed that the heritage and architecture of Tramore needed to be protected.
"We would help him if he could do something with the racquetball court," Ms O'Carroll said. "This is a street down in the Tramore Development Plan as a street for preservation."