Wicklow county councillors voted yesterday to reverse a series of rezonings, including an illegal timber shed factory and an unauthorised quarry, that have been at the centre of a major planning controversy since the summer.
However, a majority of councillors voted to retain the rezoning of a GAA club and hotel development on the side of one of the most dangerous roads in the country, despite a warning from Wicklow county manager that it could lead to road fatalities.
In total yesterday the councillors voted on the remaining nine of 17 controversial rezonings made against the advice of professional planners at a marathon 18-hour meeting last July.
Yesterday they voted to reverse four of the rezonings and approve a further four, two of which had significant amendments. The ninth was withdrawn.
The 17 rezonings were at the centre of a series of acrimonious council meetings, at which complaints, accusations and insults were made by various members of the council.
Last month councillors voted on eight of the rezonings, reversing the two most controversial, a film studio and nursing home, but kept six, although some were significantly amended.
Yesterday councillors voted to reverse a previous decision to rezone the site of a timber shed and fencing factory, Abwood Homes near Newcastle, which currently has no planning permission.
They acted on the advice of planners, who informed them that Circuit and High Court enforcement proceedings were ongoing against the owners of the site.
Councillors also rejected proposals from Mr Nicky Kelly of Labour and Mr Fachtna Whittle of Fianna Fáil, to rezone a reduced area of the land, on the basis that 70 jobs were at stake if the factory was forced to close.
Mr Kelly said that the development had been on the site for a considerable number of years.
Wicklow county manager, Mr Eddie Sheehy, described the case as "by far the worst infringement of the planning process that exists in Co Wicklow".
He said the owners had ignored a series of enforcement orders from the council over the years and had "given two fingers" to planning officials.
Senior planner Mr Paddy Hooper showed councillors aerial photographs of the site in 2000, which showed that most of the site was undeveloped at that stage.
The councillors were also shown video footage of the site showing most of it now developed, and Mr Hooper said there had been further development on the 12 acre site in the months since the rezoning was first made in July.
They also voted overwhelmingly to reverse the rezoning of an unauthorised quarry at Ballylusk near Ashford which was the subject of a complaint under ethics legislation about the original proposer, Cllr Fachtna Whittle, who is also a solicitor.
Green councillor Ms Deirdre De Burca has complained that Mr Whittle's solicitors firm has been acting for the quarry owners in relation to the ongoing planning case, which Mr Whittle failed to state.
Mr Whittle, who has denied any conflict of interest in the case, was not in the council chamber at the time of yesterday's vote.
However, councillors voted to retain the rezoning of a site at Tinode, Manor Kilbride on the N81 between Tallaght and Blessington for a GAA complex, hotel and tourist development.
Arguing for the rezoning, Cllr Jim Ruttle said the local GAA club which owned the site currently had no home and that the rezoning was vital.