Labour has proposed that the lands owned by the controversial English property company Jackson Way should be returned to their original low-value agricultural status, writes Paul Cullen.
The party's six representatives on Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council have called for the rezoning from industrial to agricultural use of the Jackson Way lands at Carrickmines, Co Dublin. A motion in their names is due for consideration at a meeting on Tuesday.
Jackson Way, which is under investigation by the Flood tribunal and the Criminal Assets Bureau, owns more than 100 acres at Carrickmines. It is currently seeking compensation of €47 million from the county council in respect of 20 acres of this land which were compulsorily acquired for the South-Eastern Motorway.
Councillors voted by 13 votes to 11 to rezone over 36 acres of the company's land to the north of the motorway in December 1997. The motion was proposed by Cllr Betty Coffey, of Fianna Fáil, and seconded by Fine Gael's Cllr Liam Cosgrave.
The decision was confirmed at a meeting of councillors the following year.
The company has tried, unsuccessfully so far, to have the land it owns south of the motorway rezoned for housing.
The tribunal is currently investigating the various attempts to have the Carrickmines lands rezoned during the 1990s.
Full hearings into allegations that payments were made to councillors in connection with the rezonings are due to begin later this month.
Yesterday, Cllr Denis O'Callaghan (Labour) said there was already sufficient industrial-zoned land in the area. A major office and retail development on adjoining lands was currently proceeding, he pointed out.
He denied that Labour was pulling a "stroke" by making the proposal at this time.
However, the Fianna Fáil leader on the council, Cllr Larry Butler, accused Labour of "opportunism" for trying to reverse a previous decision of the council. Party councillors would decide their stance on the issue over the weekend, he said.
Cllr Victor Boyhan (PD) said that any rezoning could expose the council to a further compensation claim from Jackson Way. However, this threat is believed to have receded since new planning legislation came into force two years ago.
Councillors have submitted a total of 61 motions in connection with the drawing up of a new draft plan for Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown. Most of these direct the county manager, Mr Derek Brady, to rezone land or alter previously-stated objectives.
None of the motions come from Fianna Fáil.
Another Labour motion calls on Mr Brady not to designate a new urban centre at Cherrywood in the draft plan.
Mr Brady has strongly recommended urban centre status for Cherrywood, which is the subject of a massive development plan proposed by a consortium of investors.
But Mr O'Callaghan said there was no need for this designation, which would "suck out investment and put jobs at risk" in established centres such as Dundrum and Dún Laoghaire.