A number of Mayo county councillors have welcomed the engagement between the elected members and council officials on the drawing up of the new draft development plan for the county.
The members of the Economic Development, Enterprise Support, Planning and Marine Strategic Policy Committee were given an update on the progress of the draft plan at their meeting this week. Fianna Fáil Cllr Al McDonnell, told the SPC this was his seventh county development plan and that it was the first time he had seen so much engagement between officials and the councillors before the draft plan was drawn up. He also said that Covid had shown the old rules when it came to development didn't apply any more and people were looking to move to the west and rural areas and the plan had to ensure that people could do that. Senior planner for Mayo County Council, Alan De Lucia, replied: "We are trying to get a plan in place that works for everyone, but we are bound by guidelines and we will have to see what can be done in the draft."
