The delay in adopting a local area plan for Ballinrobe has thrown a number of local developments into jeopardy. It’s been 12 years since the current plan was adopted and the process of selecting a preferred route for the proposed Ballinrobe bypass has delayed the process of adopting a new plan.
Fianna Fáil Councillor Damian Ryan told a meeting of the Ballinrobe electoral area committee on Monday that it was imperative the draft plan goes to public consultation and is adopted.
The current plan was adopted in 1997 but the new plan couldn’t be adopted until a preferred route for the proposed bypass was selected. That process has now been complete and Cllr Ryan said there should be no further delays in adopting the local area plan. He said a new plan should be adopted every five or six years and to wait 12 years was unacceptable. “It needs to be put in place as a matter of priority,” he told members of Mayo County Council executive.
Cllr Patsy O’Brien said a lot of work had been done and he hoped the deadline of the end of the year to have the plan adopted would be met.
Mr Patsy Burke, senior officer, said an internal meeting of council officials today (Friday ) was being organised to discuss the plan and a report would be prepared for the next local area meeting.
Independent representative for the area Cllr Harry Walsh added that as long as people continued to vote for people in places like Castlebar, Westport and exotic places like Ballaghaderreen they would never have a plan.
