The Mayor of Castlebar and Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere has proposed that Mayo County Council, in association with Castlebar Town Council, take advantage of current low property prices to purchase a 100-acre land bank serviced with roads infrastructure that can be offered to attract foreign direct investment and create jobs.
“I am talking about purchasing a large tract of land in the region of 100 acres with connections to water and sewerage,” Cllr Deere said. “The planning office of all county councils are experiencing quiet periods and they may be able to develop various development options for such a site. Both Castlebar and Mayo are at a disadvantage when it comes to foreign direct investment because of the quality of our road infrastructure and associated transportation costs, and we have an opportunity to offset that disadvantage through the provision of serviced land.”
The Mayor added that land has never been cheaper than the current prices being experienced on the property market, “and we must take advantage of those prices”.
“The time for relying on the IDA has passed; while they already have an unoccupied estate in Castlebar, it effectively represents a token effort toward attracting foreign direct investment in Castlebar,” he added. “It is too small and the strongest option for success will require the purchase of a large tract of land; then we will be able to compete for ourselves.”
