A number of Castlebar town councillors expressed their displeasure with the amount of planning enforcement being carried out by the council, at the monthly meeting of the local authority this week.
“I’m concerned with the amount of planning retentions that are on the planning list this month,” Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne told the meeting. “Where are we on enforcement figures? I spoke at a previous meeting about a takeaway on New Antrim Street which is operating without planning permission, where are we on enforcing this?”
Town manager Seamus Granahan told the meeting that the council was working in conjunction with the gardaí in relation to the takeaway issue, as there was a problem with the council getting definitive proof of a breach of the planning permission.
Cllr Eugene McCormack raised the issue of the planning process in regard to McHale Park, which he said was too long and drawn out. “The length of time it has taken has had severe financial implications for the Mayo GAA county board, and also has left the people of McHale Road having to still look at the media tower that is currently there,” he said. “The new design is a far better looking building, but An Bord Pleanála have kept pushing and pushing this back and it’s not good enough.”
Independent councillor Frank Durcan told the meeting that the lack of enforcement was causing the council to lose vast amount of money. “The lack of enforcement has cost us a fortune and it’s up to the executive to enforce it,” he said. “Some people can seem to do nothing and other people who have clout can do what they like.” Cllr Kilcoyne also told the meeting that there was not enough action for the money that had been allocated for enforcement. “I’m not happy with this issue at all, there was €180,000 allocated towards allocation to enforcement and I don’t see it being spent,” he said.
