| Source: BB reporter | Date: 20th October 2004 | reporter: PJ |
WICKLOW County Council still has nine more rezoning proposals to consider at their next meeting on November 2nd 2004.
The most notable of these for BBKR residents is:-
Jack Whites for a garden/exhibition centre, accommodation and filling station.
This proposal was originally passed at the infamous council meeting of 12th July 2004, by 14 votes 'for' to 7 votes 'against'. Unfortunately it was abandoned along with all the other 17 rezoning proposals.
The site comprises 2 fields of 10 acres to the rear and south of Jack Whites Inn.
Wicklow County councillors have voted to rezone land which is the subject of a compulsory purchase order from the council itself for a major road scheme.
Nearly 20 acres of land, at Jack White's Inn along the N11, was rezoned for a garden/exhibition centre, tourist accommodation and filling station. Councillors voted for the rezoning even though there is supposed to be a planning freeze on all developments along this stretch of the N11 pending a full upgrade of the road. It was one of 17 rezonings made as amendments to the draft development plan at a marathon 18 hour meeting by councillors in July.
The rezonings were all against the advice of council staff.The controversial rezonings, which include a retail park and film studios, a quarry, a medical centre and a factory, could be overturned when councillors make a final vote on the plan in November. A small section of the land at Jack White's that was rezoned is the subject of a proposed compulsory purchase order to facilitate a major upgrade to the existing N11 road. Should councillors vote to confirm the rezoning for the final development plan, it could add considerably to the compensation that landowners will have to be paid.
The road project is at the planning stage, although the council hopes to begin construction in 2006. According to compulsory purchase documents,the owners of the land which is subject to the order near Jack White's are Mr Tadhg Kennedy, the current owner of Jack White's, and an Arklow-based company, Weld Holdings.Yesterday, MrKennedy, defended the rezoning. He said only a tiny part of the rezoned land was the subject of a compulsory purchase order.
The rezoning proposal was to "provide better services and amenities" for the Brittas Bay area, which lacked them, he said. "It's not heavy retail, it's soft retail," he said. He had also sent a submission to individual councillors before the July meeting. "It wasn't a last minute thing," he said. Yesterday a spokeswoman for the roads section of Wicklow Co Council confirmed that engineering staff had made observations about the rezoning decision which will be forwarded to council members.
These observations are believed to vehemently oppose the rezoning, and state that it is contrary to stated council and Government policy regarding proposals near proposed major road projects. The spokeswoman also pointed out that planning is normally frozen in any areas adjoining a proposed road scheme, pending its full completion.
Liam Reid © The Irish Times
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