Sir, - I refer to the statement by Mr Adrian Doyle, Wexford County Development Officer, in which he said that there has been no planning corruption in Wexford County Council.
I, for one, believe him. I do so because, for free, Wexford planning officials will let you build almost anywhere in the county. Speculative development is allowed in remote scenic areas, in stark contrast to the policy of neighbouring Wicklow County Council. Ribbon development in rural areas is rampant, especially in the north of the county where Dublin commuters, who would by choice build in Wicklow, take advantage of lax planning in Wexford.
The astounding decision to permit houses to be built in the middle of the Slaney estuary at Wexford town, which now intrude on the otherwise serene view upriver from Ferrybank bridge, is but another example of the sorry state of planning in Wexford.
The only corruption in Wexford County Council is the corruption of the word "planning". - Yours, etc.,
Sylvester Murphy, Gorey, Co Wexford.