Sir, - Recent letters to your column concerning planning deficiencies have highlighted the adverse consequences arising from the absence of any effective strategy to address the serious problems being posed by the westward march of the Greater Dublin urban area. The validity of the issues raised by Tony McEvoy (May 10th) are, however, only really appreciated when they are considered in the context of individual towns, of which Maynooth is a particularly appropriate example.
Maynooth has experienced a dramatic growth in population of 41 per cent in the last five years, one of the fastest growth rates for a town of its size in the state. The adverse effects of such over rapid growth are only too well known: pressure on schools and other educational facilities, severe traffic congestion and air pollution, loss of urban character, loss of traditional amenity resources such as walks, dislocation of social linkages etc. Towns clearly take time to evolve, those growing organically develop a strong sense of community and enjoy a much better quality of life than those undergoing population explosion at the behest of those framing their local development plans. Communities should not be asked to undergo such traumatic dislocation as have the towns of north Kildare over the past five years.
Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Progressive Democrat politicians currently support the rezoning of additional lands in Maynooth which would facilitate an increase in the population of this town from 9,000 to 22,000 people over the next five years. This is a horrendous prospect for most of its citizens to contemplate. It is not surprising that feelings run high in this and many other towns regarding the failure of some of their local politicians to represent their wishes on their electoral agenda.
There must be a better way to regulate land and settlement on a small island and Gabrielle McKeown's call (May 12th) for an integrated strategic regional development plan is timely. Such an approach must not be confined to the Greater Dublin area, however, and must also address the needs of the young people of western Ireland, many of whom are forced to flock to the bloated towns of Leinster for a house and a job. Disincentives to the sprawl of Greater Dublin must be combined with incentives to encourage greater development of the West. Perhaps it is time to remind candidates coming knocking on our doors that it behoves them to place communities and not individuals at the top of their manifesto in terms of their actions at local council level and not their slogans at national level. - Yours, etc.,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.