Sir, The hope expressed by the Meath County Manager, Joe Horan, for the expansion of Navan into a major urban centre (Property, October 26th) is somewhat optimistic given the track record of his county councillors, who seem hell-bent on thwarting any attempt at managed growth in the county.
Mr Horan's vision is supported by the "Strategic Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area" which stress the need to concentrate development of the hinterland in five primary centres, Navan being one. The development of these centres envisages considerable levels of new employment activities.
Why, then, have the councillors proposed the rezoning of 250 acres of land at Clonee for industrial use? Surely this will serve simply as an incentive to any would-be employer to locate near the capital. At the same time, the councillors have proposed the rezoning of the green belt between Clonee and Dunboyne for housing, purportedly to cater for the workforce coming to the new factories. This second rezoning proposal not only conflicts with the strategic planning guidelines on control and development outside of the metropolitan area and the development centres, it also flies in the face of the draft Co Meath Development Plan 2000 and the pre-election promises of the councillors - though this should come as no surprise.
The development of south Co Meath should be contingent on the provision of the appropriate infrastructure. The unbridled growth of Ratoath, Ashbourne, Dunshaughlin and Dunboyne without these facilities will only exacerbate an already unsatisfactory situation. The voters of south Meath will not forget those responsible, either at local or national level. - Yours, etc.,
Phillip Flood, Millfarm, Dunboyne, Co Meath.