Residents from Knockranny who attended a public meeting held in Knockranny House Hotel last month have voiced their concern that a nursing home application, which was withdrawn this year by Coillte, may still be built in the area.
The meeting was held to discuss variations to the Westport Town and Environs Development Plan and residents were told about possible plans for the woods, including walkways and recreational areas to be developed. However locals were told that the area, which is proposed to be zoned ‘woodland’, still may have an 86-bed nursing home, due to the fact that the planning application is still “live”.
Town councillor Keith Martin, who has voiced his opposition to the development, said that the planning application is still “live” and that this planning application “overrules zoning”. The Labour councillor said there is nothing that local councillors can do to reverse this as they “cannot affect planning applications when live”.
The Labour councillor urged residents, whether they are for or against such a development, to include their observations in submissions for the development plan, which is currently on public display. Submissions should be made before the deadline of June 22.
