Fergus McAllister, Green candidate for Westport Town Council, said that he is opposed to “last century” plans to develop tourism accommodation in Colonel Woods, as currently proposed in the Town Development Plan and has sent in a strong objection to the proposal which allows for small scale tourism accommodation under the area's designation as a tourism/amenity zone.
Instead, Mr McAllister would like up-to-date and sustainable thinking about the valuable forest area, adding that Westport Town Council should have learnt the lessons of soulless housing developments built under the guise of tourism in the 1990s. His manifesto for Westport contains a proposal for a series of wood-chipped trails at Colonel Woods which could be used for off-road cycling, running, walking, or educational purposes. Coillte, the owner of the wood, has already developed such amenities around the country.
“There is no need for housing or accommodation. There isn’t even any need for picnic tables or seats, which can too often encourage drinking and hanging around”, commented Mr McAllister. He added: “The town council’s idea for a quick-fix tourism accommodation, which frankly isn’t needed given the amount of vacant properties already on the market.”
