Laois draft development plan approved

Laois County Council has approved its controversial Draft County Development Plan in the absence of Fianna Fáil councillors who walked out of the chamber in protest.

Cathaoirleach Mr William Aird (FG) said yesterday it was "up to the people" to say whether they liked the plan, which would be published in a fortnight as part of a public consultation process.

The local authority is proposing to establish new development boundaries around 29 villages and small towns in the county, allowing for the construction of thousands of news houses.

Rejecting the criticism of Fianna Fáil councillors, who accused him of curtailing debate at yesterday's six-hour meeting, Mr Aird said: "I honestly don't think I was unfair to anyone. I could not have allowed people any more time to speak."

But Cllr Gerry Lodge (FF) said members of his party were "denied the opportunity to speak" at the meeting. "We had proposed that there should be local area plans for each of the villages to ensure there was proper and sustainable development in each case, but the chairman wouldn't listen to us."

Mr Lodge said he believed there could be legal problems with the manner in which the draft development plan was adopted given the reduced attendance in the chamber.

Such claims were dismissed, however, by rival councillors.

Among the villages included in the plan are Arles, Attanagh, Ballinakill, Ballybrittas, Ballyfin, Borris-in-Ossory, Camross, Castletown, Clonaslee, Durrow, Emo, Errill, Killenard, Rosenallis, Shanahoe, Stradbally and Timahoe.

Towns such as Portlaoise, Portarlington and Mountmellick are not included in the plan.

Despite this, Fine Gael says the proposals will facilitate balanced development, enabling the County Council to insist on 17.5 per cent social and affordable housing in all new developments.

However, Fianna Fáil says the plan will result in "developer- led" construction in areas already under-resourced for public utilities and services.

In a separate development, local Fianna Fáil TD Mr John Moloney said yesterday he would ask the Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, to intervene in the planning process if the local authority failed to take on board local objections.

"If the county council is unwilling to hear the concerns of the local people, I would have a duty to involve the Minister and brief the Minister on the matter," Mr Moloney told The Irish Times.

Mr Roche, who has powers under the 2000 Planning Act to revoke rezonings, is understood to be concerned that the draft development plan is in conflict with regional planning guidelines. Such guidelines call for urban development to be centred around a "hierarchy" of towns rather than villages.