Wicklow to decide rezonings today

Wicklow County Council is due to decide at a special meeting today whether to reverse a series of controversial rezonings and…

Wicklow County Council is due to decide at a special meeting today whether to reverse a series of controversial rezonings and planning decisions made during the summer.

The 17 rezonings, which were decided last July, led to major controversy after it emerged that two of the sites rezoned were the locations of unauthorised developments that had no planning permission.

In addition, incorrect information had been provided to councillors before they voted for the largest single rezoning.

The decisions include some of the largest single rezonings made in recent years by a local authority in Ireland.

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Councillors also voted for a significant relaxation of one-off housing rules in order to widen the region in which locals can apply for planning permission and to ease the rules prohibiting building on green belts and scenic areas.

The changes were made at a marathon 18-hour meeting of the council in July and were included in amendments to the draft development plan.

Almost all were against the advice of the council's professional planners.

A 172-acre farm near the N11, close to the village of Ashford, was rezoned for commercial development, including a film studio and retail centre, after councillors were told it was for the relocation of Ardmore Studios from Bray.

Ardmore later denied it had any intention of moving.

There have been strong clashes between councillors since the rezonings were made, with insults and accusations being made by various councillors against each other.

Sources close to councillors have indicated that many of the larger rezonings are likely to be reversed or significantly amended.

However, it is believed that a majority of councillors are in favour of the relaxation of the rules on one-off housing, although there are likely to be amendments to close off loopholes which meant that thousands of residents in urban areas of the county, including Bray, would be able to build one-off houses on green-belt areas.

Because of the volume of work involved, councillors are expected to need to have further meetings to make final decisions on all the rezoning and planning proposals.

The opposition to many of the rezonings and planning decisions were outlined in a report to the council by the county manager and his planning staff last month.

It warned councillors that they were legally obliged to implement an environmentally sustainable plan in line with national planning guidelines, and stated that the one-off housing plans were at odds with these.

The report claimed that the proposals could actually reduce the number of sites available to rural dwellers as it allowed a large increase in the numbers of non-locals allowed to build in rural areas.

The report included details of over 400 submissions from the general public, public bodies and voluntary organisations, almost all of which opposed the planning changes and rezonings.

In the report Wicklow county manager, Mr Eddie Sheehy, and his planning staff also outlined their opposition to the one-off housing changes and 16 of the 17 rezonings.

While some councillors justified their decision to support the original rezonings on the basis that there was a need for zoned development land in the country, this was rejected by the county manager in his report.

Mr Sheehy pointed out that there was 815 acres of development land already rezoned in the county, which he said was "the equivalent of 268 average-sized pitches".

"It is clear, therefore, that adequate land has already been zoned for industrial/commercial purposes," according to the report.