Westport's inclusion in a Respond Affordable Housing Scheme has been widely welcomed. Martin Keating, housing officer with Mayo County Council, says 54 units of varying house types will soon be developed adjacent to the Golf Course Road.

While the town's Urban District Council (UDC) views this scheme as a first step in the provision of affordable housing, some critics have suggested that "it's too little, too late".

The vista from Sheeaune Hill on the Castlebar approach road to Westport is breathtaking. The town snuggles in a scenic hollow that is dominated by Croagh Patrick and Clare Island, while the maze of inner islands blends gently into the wooded demesne at Westport House.

Westport, a heritage town, is one of the few planned provincial towns in Ireland. It is of national significance and classified as a Regional Tourism Centre.

The third largest town in Mayo, it provides 34 per cent of visitor accommodation in the county, with the adjacent hinterland of Clew Bay supplying a further 54 per cent. While Westport's population is around 4,000, this figure can triple during the peak tourist season.

Westport's designation under the Urban Renewal Scheme for Seaside Towns (Finance Act 1995) stimulated a frenzy of development which resulted in three new hotels, apartment blocks and clusters of townhouses. According to Mayo Naturally (the county tourism body), hotel bedrooms increased from 201 in 1993 to 641 in 2000, while self-catering units have increased from 27 in 1993 to over 300 in 2000.

The impact of this unprecedented growth on the town's infrastructure is noted in a report - Westport Plan 2000 - commissioned by the town's UDC. Traffic congestion, inadequate road and rail access and an outdated water supply and sewerage system continue to cause problems for the town.

Critics say "the cart was put before the horse" in terms of the pace of the development, as superstructure had precedence over infrastructure. While a state-of-theart sewerage system is being built, the town's medium-term growth is dependent on approval by the Department of Environment for a new water supply from Lough Mask.

Despite rationalisation of existing car-parking facilities, traffic congestion causes havoc throughout the tourist season. It's hoped that a car-park being constructed off Mill Street will alleviate parking shortages, but a by-pass is viewed as the only realistic method of solving the problem.

Dubliner Simon Wall has a unique job. He is one of the first full-time town architects in the country. Appointed two years ago by the UDC, he says that there is a very strong architectural section in Mayo County Council (MCC) and that Westport UDC is an exemplary body in its approach to urban development.

Members of the town's Civic Trust, however, are critical of the loss of a potential amenity area, the Bank of Ireland garden, which was sold to a local developer

last year. Controversy continues over the future status of the Old Railway Line Walk from the centre of town to the quay.

Viewed as a significant amenity area, the town's Civic Trust opposes the construction of an access road through the Old Railway Walk to adjacent lands zoned for development. The trust is adamant that the beautiful grounds surrounding Westport House cannot be classified as a public amenity, since they are privately owned and not fully open to the public on a year-round basis.

Weekly design clinics hosted by the UDC have raised awareness of shop owners as to their contribution to Westport's enhancement. However, economic viability is a fundamental problem for many retail outlets dependent on the intensity of a three-month period to supplement rents varying from £12,000 to £52,000 (€15,230E65,990) per annum.

Mr Wall acknowledges that the majority of self-catering units are owned by absentee landlords with an interest in writing off tax bills. "It's not unrealistic in the future to envisage the Quay Holiday Village as an owner-occupied village, once the tax incentives cease," he says.

This vision must be predicated on a plateau being achieved in property prices. The reality is that many locals, especially first-time buyers, are unable to afford a home in Westport, thereby forcing them to Castlebar where prices are more equitable. As local estate agent Olivia Needham points out, the Manor Village housing estate on the outskirts of Castlebar is known as "Little Westport".

Another problem highlighted by Ms Needham is the seasonal shortage of rented accommodation available to locals and employees in the town. From September to May there is a glut of accommodation available for rent.

The locally-based tenants, often servicing the tourist industry, are then forced to seek accommodation in Castlebar for the summer. Luckily, the mass exodus of GMIT students from Castlebar at that time provides temporary accommodation for these seasonal nomads.

It seems that "social engineering" should be given priority by Westport UDC and Mayo County Council.

Since Ms Needham set up business two years ago, the greater percentage of her sales has been to tourists, as the strength of sterling and the dollar has attracted many English and American investors.

MAYO County Council area engineer, Ger Reidy, says that planning applications have increased 100 per cent in the last two years.

With the worsening economic viability of small farms, the sale of sites in the town's hinterland is often viewed as the only alternative for survival.

Ribbon development is difficult to deter as planning officials are "reacting to" rather than "acting on" development. Satellites of Westport, such as Murrisk, Lecanvey and Louisburgh would greatly benefit by a proposed water scheme from Lough Mask.

Hundreds of acres of land would then become available for development. While this increase in supply may deflate property prices, the pressure on Westport's town core will nevertheless continue.