Revisit development plan to ease planning process in Mayo

THE county development plan is being used as a 'sledge hammer' to reject planning applications in Mayo, an elected representative has claimed.

At a time of a housing crisis, Councillor Peter Flynn wants to see the development plan revisited by councillors to give more flexibility, and they'll take on the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) to get it done, he vowed.

Councillor Flynn, at a municipal meeting, said he has never seen as many planning refusals as there has been over the last 12 months. The discretion to allow people build was being used to beat people up, and they needed to reconsider the whole area of social connectivity. There are issues around people having a link to an area, instead of allowing them build where there are services in place. Come September they needed to revisit the development plan and take on the OPR and whoever else needs to be taken on.

He was fully supported, with Councillor Gerry Coyle saying there are people in Belmullet who have money to build on what are tier 2 lands, but they can't despite tier 1 not going ahead. And people who were baptised with local water were being asked to prove they are from the area, he added.

Instead of giving reasons why something can't be done, give them reasons why it can, he stated.

The area link had proven to be a 'disaster', said Councillor Brendan Mulroy. If you were born in Westport, move to the country and you can't build as your housing need is met in the town - if you have €500,000.

They needed to materially contravene the county development plan, he said.

Councillor Johnny O'Malley agreed that 'every obstacle' is put in the way of people seeking planning permission.

People were put through the mill to get planning when there was no reason for questions, only grant them permission, he said, adding: “It's frustrating.”