A Fianna Fáil councillor has strongly defended his decision to propose three rezoning motions now at the centre of a planning controversy in Co Wicklow.
Mr Fachtna Whittle, solicitor, also rejected suggestions he had any conflict of interest regarding one site, a quarry whose owners he had acted for on an ongoing planning issue.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Whittle said his "sole motivation" on the rezonings was to "facilitate the development of commercial interests and employment in east Wicklow". He criticised the council's official planning policy for being completely inadequate regarding development.
He said that because he had been away last week, he had not had the chance to respond to media coverage of the controversy, some of which he claimed was "one-sided".
The rezonings were among 17 moved at an 18-hour council meeting last month on the draft development plan. Motions proposed by Mr Whittle included the rezoning of 172 acres at Ballyhenry, near Ashford, for commercial development.
Councillors, who voted by 15 to five for the rezoning, were informed in a letter by architects for the landowner, businessman Mr Joe O'Connell, that the development was for the relocation of Ardmore studios. The studios' managing director has since said this was untrue and he had never been consulted before the rezoning was made. Mr O'Connell also said the inclusion of the claims regarding Ardmore were an "inadvertent" mistake.
Mr Whittle said he proposed the motion following two meetings with Mr O'Connell, as the proposals had "considerable merit". He said he had "no legal or beneficial interest or any conflict of interest" regarding a quarry at Ballylusk, also near Ashford, which he proposed for rezoning.
He said his firm, Haughton McCarroll, had no role in the rezoning submission, made on behalf of the quarry owners, O'Reilly Brothers, by planning consultant Mr Pat O'Connor.
Last week Green councillor Ms Deirdre de Burca made a complaint to Wicklow County Council, claiming Mr Whittle had breached ethical guidelines by failing to declare he had previously acted for the quarry as a solicitor. Mr Whittle said that even if the rezonings were approved at a final meeting on the development plan in October, the projects would still have to go through the planning process.