The development of Dunleer, Co Louth, hangs in the balance following revelations that the area's five councillors had commissioned their own draft development plan against the wishes of the community.
The councillors are seeking to extend the boundaries of the village, which currently has a population of about 1,200, to provide for extensive suburban expansion, which local people believe would be targeted at Dublin commuters.
As reported in last week's Mid-Louth Independent, the Labour TD for Louth, Mr Michael Bell, has queried the councillors' agenda and called on the county council to initiate an inquiry into the matter "so that the full facts can be put before the public".
But Mr Tommy Reilly, one of the councillors who commissioned the alternative plan for a reputed five-figure sum, said it would help to enhance services in the area, including water supplies. "That's what developers expect," he declared.
The basis of the alternative plan is "to get . . . the zoning done first", he said, adding that it was to replace the plan drawn up by architects Murray O'Laoire on behalf of a community-based steering committee, which aims to consolidate the village.
A former councillor for Dunleer, Mr Hugh Conlon, said he found it strange that the current councillors would commission their own plan when they could have made their point in a letter.
Mr Gerry Crilly, a local community activist, said the Murray O'Laoire draft plan had evolved from an initiative by An Taisce and the UCD School of Architecture in 1998.
Following public consultation, it is to be voted on by the county council next Monday. He pointed out that only one of the five area councillors lived in Dunleer.
"They have been unbelievably vociferous in their disagreement with the draft proposals, with their main focus on the proposed urban boundary," Mr Crilly said. Questions might be asked in connection with this particular issue, especially since there are several large proposals that are outside the proposed boundary, a 125-house development, a 144-house development and a proposal to build a designer retail village".
He said the councillors seemed to be unable to work on behalf of the community as a whole and, if they succeeded in having their own plan adopted, the danger was that Dunleer would be engulfed. "Without An Taisce, the common good has not a breath,"he added.
