Wicklow councillors yesterday expressed outrage at a series of decisions taken by the county's planning officials and said that local people's confidence in the planning process had been completely eroded. At an emergency meeting called by councillors to discuss the "planning crisis" in the county, calls were made for a full inquiry into the rezoning of land at Glen Ding Woods in Blessington.
A Fianna Fail TD, Mr Dick Roche, described the rezoning of the land as a "major national planning scandal".
A Labour councillor, Mr Tommy Cullen, proposed that the State repurchase the site at Glen Ding Woods from Roadstone Dublin Ltd and return it to the people of Wicklow as an amenity.
An Independent TD, Ms Mildred Fox, who supported the rezoning proposal at the time, said that there should now be an investigation into all matters relating to Glen Ding Woods.
Dismay was expressed by councillors at the failure to protect The Murrough, a coastal area close to Wicklow town, and at the granting of permission for a wind farm consisting of eight 200ft wind towers at a site in Arklow.
A Fine Gael councillor, Mr George Jones, said that the wind farm was located in an area where permission for dwellings had frequently been refused and represented yet another inconsistency in the council's planning policy.
"You look around Wicklow town and you can't see the top of a hill for houses, but if you want to move into Arklow you can't get planning permission to build a beehive."
Mr Roche said that planning in Co Wicklow had been on a downward spiral for a number of years and was now "totally out of control". He demanded an inquiry into the rezoning of 80 acres of land at Glen Ding Woods in September 1996 and an explanation as to how illegal quarrying had been allowed to take place in the Blessington area. "We will be damned for generations for it. This is the one major national planning scandal that simply demands an inquiry."
Mr Cullen said that Roadstone Dublin Ltd began quarrying at Glen Ding, an area of archaeological importance, between November 1992 and February 1993 without planning permission. Quarrying stopped after local residents protested to the council.
Later in 1993 Wicklow County Council initiated High Court proceedings against Roadstone Dublin Ltd to halt further quarrying.
However, a letter dated November 27th, 1994, showed that the council had reached agreement with the company that it would withdraw its High Court proceedings until the completion of the development plan for Blessington, according to Mr Cullen.
Just 10 days ago, Roadstone Dublin Ltd had applied for retention permission for lands at Glen Ding Woods, indicating that it had been operating there without planning permission, Mr Cullen said. "I believe that what happened in Glen Ding was the blackest day in the history of this council."
A spokesman for Roadstone Dublin Ltd said that at no time had the company quarried illegally in the Blessington area. No secret deal had been done with Wicklow County Council in relation to the High Court case.