Posted online: Feb 16th, 2007

Cllrs want Planning Chief to come to Donegal

Donegal Co. Council has passed a motion calling on the head of An Bord
Pleanála(ABP) John O’Connor to address members of the council about
decisions it has made regarding development proposals in the county.
Raising the issue at a general purposes meeting of Donegal Co.

Council, Cllr. Sean McEniff expressed frustration with the number of
planning applications that have been approved by Donegal Co. Council -
but subsequently overturned by An Bord Pleanála.

“Up to 1,000 jobs are going abegging in Donegal Town because of what
is happening,” he declared, a reference to the ongoing saga over new
shopping development proposals by rival developers in the town.

And he questioned whether it is ABP policy to stifle development in
Donegal Town while at the same time encouraging it in gateway towns
like Letterkenny and Sligo where there has been a lot of retail
development away from the town centre.

His views were backed by several other councillors, including Cllr.
Brendan Byrne, who said it was “unbelievable” what is happening in
Donegal Town. He maintained that Donegal Town is stagnating because
developments are not being approved.

Cllr. Dessie Larkin questioned how inspectors from An Bord Pleanala
can make a recommendation on a planning issue, and then have it
overturned by the board itself.

“How can they employ someone who comes down to Donegal and looks at a
site and then the application is turned down by someone else who has
not visited the site?” he said.

Cllr. Jimmy Harte spoke of “Dublin 4 architects making decisions on
Donegal residential developments” while Cllr. Noel McBride said “some
of the decisions being made are dubious to say the least.”

Cllr. Terence Slowey noted that back on 2001 Donegal Co. Council had
drawn up a retail strategy and it was recognised that unless the
retail sector was strengthened in Donegal Town, it would continue to
lose tradce to Sligo, Derry, Letterkenny, Ballybofey and other towns.
“People in Dublin are totally out of touch about what is happening in
Donegal,” he maintained.

Cllr. McEniff concluded that if the chairman of An Bord Pleanala does
not address the council, the council should send a delegation to meet
with the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, on the issue.