1996/99
For up to date news visit the Connaught Telegraph website.
'TIME TO CLEAN THE AIR ONCE AND FOR ALL ALL'
15 October 1997
Enquiry call into planning corruption claims
By Tom Kelly
A public enquiry is being sought into claims of corruption in the planning department of Castlebar Urban Council.
Mr Johnny Mee, a member of the authority, said the independent investigation was urgently required to clear up the doubts which existed among members of the public. The Labour Party councillor did not think 'money changed hands' in the granting of any development in the town, but admitted that maybe he was 'naive.'
He said: "I feel the air should be cleared once and for all. The sooner the matter is brought to a head the better."
Mr Mee's call follows on-going allegations by independent member, Mr Frank Durcan, that developers aligned to the Fianna Fail party got preferential treatment from the council. Said Mr Mee: "It seems to me that perception is more important than reality. In all my time on the council, a developer never contacted me looking for assistance.
"A tribunal into the allegations would allay the doubts. I don't think money changed hands. But the perception that people were paid off has been fuelled by certain people over the years.
"Something has to be done to clear these clouds of doubt."
Mr Frank Durcan said one of the worst planning decisions made in Castlebar was the granting of permission for a shopping centre at Newantrim Street. He said the point was now being proven with the serious traffic congestion at the location.
Mr Durcan also cited a number of other planning decisions involving a local contracting firm which he alleged were open to question. He welcomed a proposal to carry out an enquiry into the council's planning affairs.
He claimed the latest planning decision involving the same firm only served to increase public concerns. He said he was referring to the decision to grant planning permission for a six-screen cinema 21 days after the new application had been submitted. Mr Durcan said he would be appealing that decision to An Bord Pleanala.
Mr Eoin Garavan said he was not accusing the planning officials of doing anything wrong in relation to the cinema application, but he felt they shoulv have acted more patiently.
DEBATED IN FULL
Mr Alex Fleming, assistant county manager, said the matter had been debated in full at the last meeting of the council. He reaffirmed his point that he wanted to grant planning permission for the proposed cinemas at Gorteendrunagh and Knockacrogery at the same time.
Mr Paddy McGuinness said the public perception of how Castlebar Urban Council conducted its business was not good. He took up a point made by Mr Durcan during the debate that it was bad planning to construct houses on Baynes's Hill, Pound Road.
The architect involved in designing the scheme, known as Hill Point, was one of the most knowledgeable and respected in the country, according to Mr McGuinness.
"Planning is a subjective thing. We might feel a certain thing is wrong. But the architects and planners might have a totally different view."
He agreed the decision to grant planning permission for the supermarket at New Antrim Street left a lot to be desired because of the lack of carparking spaces.
"But I think the planning decision was the result of ineptitude rather than corruption."
PUBLIC PERCEPTION
Mr McGuinness said the sale of Hopkins Filed was being brought up time and again in the chamber. But the council officials had nothing to do with the decision. It was the elected members who sold the site. He recalled proposing at the time that only a section of the site should be sold to facilitate the extension to Dunnes Stores and the provision of a new carpark. But his proposal was defeated by eight votes to one.
"The public perception is that the officials sold the land for less than what it was worth. The reality is that it was us who sold it."
Mr McGuinness did not believe that any official of the council was corrupt in any way. He said since 1985, when he was first elected to the council, a total of 1,140 planning applications were made to Castlebar Urban Council, and 1,000 of those were granted. Of that number appealed to An Bord Pleanala, the decision of the council was upheld in 85% of cases.
"If we are seen to be doing so much wrong, then An Bord Pleanala must also be corrupt. They agreed with the decisions made by us."
Mr McGuinness said he also investigated how long it took for a planning application to be granted by Castlebar Urban Council. He said the average was 35 days, so there was nothing extraordinary about the decision to grant permission for the new cinema application after 21 days when the original application had also been granted.
"When the two applications came in, we always felt the Barcastle Industries application would take longer to process than the Cavendish Lane Properties one. But they were both granted at the same time.
"Neither side gained an advantage over the other. When the Cavendish Lane proposal was appealed to An Bord Pleanala, the Barcastle Industries development could have proceeded.
"But they ran into problems which were not of the urban council's making."
Mr McGuinness also made the point that 26 planning applications had been received in respect of the overall Barcastle site, all of which were granted. A total of seven material contraventions were approved to facilitate development at the location. He added that a material contravention was never sought from the council by the contracting firm which concerned Mr Durcan.
"We are not doing ourselves any favours by contributing to the rumours and innuendos."
Senator Paddy Burke wanted to make it clear that he was not against one of the cinemas and did not hold a brief for one of the developers.
Mr Durcan said he would not have got the same type of co-operation from the officials as Mr McGuinness had in obtaining information on planning in Castlebar since 1985.
Mr Gavin: "Good man, Frank."
Mr McGuinness hit out at Mr Gavin for 'the lack of
objectivity' in his remark.
