Submission

I would like to make the following observations.

According to the Manager's Report there is a surplus of 7 times the
required zoning for residential development in the current plan.

With an excess of lands zoned for housing within the boundaries of
Westport Town Council it is inappropriate for any extra lands to be
zoned within the boundaries of Westport Town Council for residential
housing.  Consequently the Manager's recommendation to zone such lands
north of Westport House estate on the Golf Course Road for residential
development to provide 90 additional units of housing on 6 hectares of
land is unsustainable and inappropriate, contrary to good planning and
practice and should be abandoned. The readiness of Management to
facilitate the above zoning and its disposal to private developers by
removing the phasing of the commercial core is contrary to good
planning and should be abandoned.

It is contrary to good planning, practise and land use to insert an
area of development into the area identified as the historic core of
the estate.  It does not take into consideration proper environmental
and planning considerations such as the visual amenity, historical and
heritage importance of the estate or its proximity to Natura 2000
sites or impact on the listed buildings and structures and their
curtailage.  The historic core is by its very nature in need of
preservation from development yet this plan recommends zoning lands
west Hotel Westport, within the historic core, as being suitable for
development of tourist related buildings.  This is completely
inappropriate development in a very sensitive area of the estate.
Considering the lands removed from the estate by compulsory purchase
by Westport Town Council in the early 1950s this would constitute a
further invasion of the town core into the estate indeed into the
historic core of the estate.  This is unsuitable and inappropriate and
should be abandoned.  This historic core must be sterilised and
protected from any new development.  Such a provision would impact
negatively on the fabric of the overall estate.

The proposal to allow stand alone buildings within the historic core
such as a theatre, conference centre, hotel, etc is contrary to good
planning and practise to zone for such developments.   It does not
take into consideration proper environmental and planning
considerations such as the visual amenity, historical and heritage
importance of the estate or its proximity to Natura 2000 sites or the
listed buildings and their curtailage.  Any such development would
destroy the purpose of the zoning of a historic core and would impact
negatively on the fabric of the estate.

It is good planning to facilitate the pedestrian links with the estate
and the town especially in the vicinity of Church Lane.  It is vital
to the sustainability and viability of the estate that some form of
vehicular access be provided, on restricted dates, to facilitate the
smooth and proper development of the estate as a venue for concerts,
public events and meetings, festivals and fairs which are much more in
keeping with the estate and are sustainable and do not interfere with
the fabric of the estate, its heritage or historic value.

The development of a nursing home in the area known as Colonel's Wood
should be prevented.  It is an inappropriate development in a woodland
and the access road is unsuitable.  Any felling in the area must
result in replanting as the woodland constitutes an important visual
feature of the town.

The lands in Monamore/Drummindoo are not on the town sewerage scheme
or town water supply. The roads in the area are already substandard
and have no footpaths or street lighting. In the Town Development
Plan there are no lands specifically zoned for recreation/amenity.
This area would be best suited to meeting the very real need for such
lands zonings within the Westport area. Westport already has two
industrial estates. The zoning of the lands in Monamore/Drummindoo do
not reflect proper planning practice and are surplus to requirements.

Councillor Keith Martin
33 Pairc na Coille
Westport
Mayo

Letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

 

I am writing to you to express my concerns in relation to the proposed zonings of Westport House Demesne which will permit tourism accommodation as well as a hotel or conference centre to be built adjacent to Westport House.

 

The proposals include allowing large single structure buildings i.e. a hotel. hostel or conference centre to be built near the house in the area of the front lawn and to allow holiday accommodation to be built inside the gates at Hotel Westport, down as far as the old zoo.

 

At the meeting of the 28^th of July I raised my objections to both these provisions but no other councillor shared my concerns or would second my motions opposing them.

 

As a result these proposals are now contained within the current Westport Town and Environs Plan for Westport which will be voted on by Westport Town councillors at a meeting later in the year.

 

I am concerned that there is a very low level of awareness of these proposals and am concerned also by the damage such proposals would do to the fabric of Westport House Demesne.

 

In the 1950s Westport Urban District Council acquired by compulsory purchase order a large section of the Demesne on the Newport Road, this was later followed by the development of what is now Westport Woods Hotel and more recently the development of Westport's waste treatment plant on the Golf Course Road.  If we continue to allow elements of the estate to be parceled of for development there will be nothing left of the estate's great heritage.

 

There are many positives within the plan including a visitors' centre detailing the life of Granuaile, the revamping of the existing tourism facilities including new accommodation in the vicinity of the farmyard and campsites and the development of the estate as concert and public event venue.

 

However I would urge those who share my concerns in relation to protecting the historic core of Westport House to contact their local representatives and councilors and make their feelings known before it goes to a vote.

 

Sincerely

 

Keith Martin

Councillor

Westport Town Council

Westport House Submissions

MAP OF WESTPORT HOUSE PLANS
Click above for a copy of the map

Submissions can be made by email to dkeane@mayococo.ie

Deadline 5pm Wednesday September 14th


Labour’s Cllr Martin is calling on Westport people to make submissions
on the new Town and Environ plan before the closing date of September
14th.  The plan deals with Westport House, Knockranny/Colonel woods,
Westport Town and Environs.

Cllr Martin says the public need to be aware of what he calls “drastic
and controversial” zonings proposed in the plan.

Under the new zoning proposals for Westport House Demesne, a large
building such as a 140 bedroom hotel or a conference centre could be
built adjacent to Westport House.  The plan also allows for tourism
development on the estate adjacent to Hotel Westport and for the
development of 90 units of housing in the Demesne on the Golf Course
Road.

Labour’s councilor Keith Martin has previously expressed his concerns
at these developments at the July meeting on the Zoning when he
proposed that no building be allowed near the house and that plans for
tourism development at the Hotel Westport gate be abandoned but his
motion was not seconded by any other councilor.

“I am very concerned that the estate is being dismantled piece by
piece for development.  If we allow this to continue there will be
very little left of the estate to preserve for future generations.”

Cllr Martin did go on to say that he was encouraged by the plans for
the rest of the estate for a visitor’s centre, tourist accommodation
on the current campsite areas and new attractions but that his main
concerns where in relation to the further incursion of the town into
the estate and the proposal for building near the house itself which
would destroy the historic core of the estate.

“I was very disappointed that every other councilor on Westport Town
Council is in favour of cutting up more of Westport House Estate for
development.  I thought that maybe we had learned from the past and
from the recession that housing and development where not stable or
sustainable development.

“I am in favour of facilitating Westport House as a venue for tourism
and for music concerts and public events and to that end we are
working with the residents of Church Lane to allow access for trucks
and Lorries for these events to access the estate from there.  This
would only be a couple of times a year for a few hours and the access
would only be for equipment that cannot be brought over the bridge at
Westport House.

In relation to the Colonel’s Wood development I was the councilor who
lead the original opposition to the idea of a nursing home there.  I
compared its design and location to something akin to the Furher
Bunker and I stand by that.  I am glad that this development will not
be going ahead.  The whole project was just a get rich quick scheme
for Coilte.

“In relation to the Town Centre, of course there is too much land
zoned for housing, there always has been, but I am not in favour or
reopening the whole issue only a year after we finalized the last
plan.  That plan protected the Town Core’s heritage and I was able to
protect the Bank of Ireland garden.  I don’t want to open that can of
worms again.  The whole plan will be up for review in less than four
years and we can have a look then and see where we stand regarding
housing lands.”

“The real problem as far as I am concerned lies outside the town in
the Environs plan where almost all the environs are zoned for even
more housing on lands that are not serviced by Westport Town Council.
Its bungalow bliss out there and you also have the ridiculous
situation of lands like the former coursing field still being zoned
for development.  Development that will never come!

Cllr Martin is calling on people to make submissions on the plan
before the closing date of September 14th.  There is no fee and
submissions can be made in writing or by email to Ann Moore, Town
Clerk, Westport Civic Offices, Westport, Mayo.

Agenda for next week's meeting

 

 

AGENDA

SEPTEMBER MEETING OF WESTPORT TOWN COUNCIL

TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 15^TH SEPTEMBER 2011 AT 5.30PM

 

 

 

01)     To confirm Minutes of meeting of Westport Town Council held on

          14^th July 2011;

 

02)    To confirm Minutes of Special meeting of Westport Town Council held          on 28^th July, 2011;

 

03)    Planning;

 

04)    To consider report dated 9^th September 2011 in accordance with Part 8

of the Local Government (Planning & Development) Regulations 2001 in respect of proposed Environmental Improvement Works at the Octagon;

           

05)    Update on Roadwork's programme;

 

06)    Tidy Towns Competition 2011;

 

07)    Get Out There Festival 2011;

 

08)    EU Mobility Week 2011;

 

09)    To appoint Amenity Grant Committee 2011;

 

10)     Conference;

 

11)      Any Other Business

Make a submission on the future of Westport Co Mayo. Time is almost up.

Next Wednesday September 14^th is the closing date for submissions on the Westport Town Plan & the Westport Environs Plan. 

• The lands in Monamore/Drummindoo are not on the town sewerage scheme or town water supply. The roads in the area are already substandard and have no footpaths or street lighting

• In the Town Development Plan there are no lands specifically zoned for recreation/amenity; in the Environs Plan there are 5 acres. Any sort of football organisation would need a minimum of 10 acres to meet current and future needs

• We have 2 industrial parks in town, one is virtually empty and the other one is at 50% capacity. Throughout the town we had numerous empty commercial building and shops.

• There are 882 houses/apartments which have planning permission but have not commenced construction. Under the new planning legislation applicants can extend their planning timelines by 5 years even if the land associated with the development is rezoned.

• Per the recent census one in four houses in Westport are unoccupied and the town had a population of approximately 5,500 people. Using a very conservative estimate this would equate to at least 750 houses. This does not take into consideration the 5 unfinished housing estates/apartment blocks in the area.

• The proposed N5 from Castlebar to Westport will run directly through Monamore/Drummindoo. The cost of these lands will be significantly higher if the zoning is changed from "Agriculture" to "Commercial/residential" thus increasing the cost to the tax-payer in multiples of the real value

To see the full report in relation to the latest stage of the Town & Environs Plan please click on the following link:

http://www.mayococo.ie/en/Planning/PlanningNews/StoryIfNoFilesToUpload,16723,en.aspx

If you would like to make a submission please send an e-mail to dkeane@mayococo.ie by next Wednesday September 14^th at 5pm. 

Submission on Zonings

Labour's Cllr Martin is calling on Westport people to make submissions
on the new Town and Environ plan before the closing date of September
14th. The plan deals with Westport House, Knockranny/Colonel woods,
Westport Town and Environs.

Cllr Martin says the public need to be aware of what he calls "drastic
and controversial" zonings proposed in the plan.

Under the new zoning proposals for Westport House Demesne, a large
building such as a 140 bedroom hotel or a conference centre could be
built adjacent to Westport House. The plan also allows for tourism
development on the estate adjacent to Hotel Westport and for the
development of 90 units of housing in the Demesne on the Golf Course
Road.

Labour's councilor Keith Martin has previously expressed his concerns
at these developments at the July meeting on the Zoning when he
proposed that no building be allowed near the house and that plans for
tourism development at the Hotel Westport gate be abandoned but his
motion was not seconded by any other councilor.

"I am very concerned that the estate is being dismantled piece by
piece for development. If we allow this to continue there will be
very little left of the estate to preserve for future generations."

Cllr Martin did go on to say that he was encouraged by the plans for
the rest of the estate for a visitor's centre, tourist accommodation
on the current campsite areas and new attractions but that his main
concerns where in relation to the further incursion of the town into
the estate and the proposal for building near the house itself which
would destroy the historic core of the estate.

"I was very disappointed that every other councilor on Westport Town
Council is in favour of cutting up more of Westport House Estate for
development. I thought that maybe we had learned from the past and
from the recession that housing and development where not stable or
sustainable development.

"I am in favour of facilitating Westport House as a venue for tourism
and for music concerts and public events and to that end we are
working with the residents of Church Lane to allow access for trucks
and Lorries for these events to access the estate from there. This
would only be a couple of times a year for a few hours and the access
would only be for equipment that cannot be brought over the bridge at
Westport House.

In relation to the Colonel's Wood development I was the councilor who
lead the original opposition to the idea of a nursing home there. I
compared its design and location to something akin to the Furher
Bunker and I stand by that. I am glad that this development will not
be going ahead. The whole project was just a get rich quick scheme
for Coilte.

"In relation to the Town Centre, of course there is too much land
zoned for housing, there always has been, but I am not in favour or
reopening the whole issue only a year after we finalized the last
plan. That plan protected the Town Core's heritage and I was able to
protect the Bank of Ireland garden. I don't want to open that can of
worms again. The whole plan will be up for review in less than four
years and we can have a look then and see where we stand regarding
housing lands."

"The real problem as far as I am concerned lies outside the town in
the Environs plan where almost all the environs are zoned for even
more housing on lands that are not serviced by Westport Town Council.
Its bungalow bliss out there and you also have the ridiculous
situation of lands like the former coursing field still being zoned
for development. Development that will never come!

Cllr Martin is calling on people to make submissions on the plan
before the closing date of September 14th. There is no fee and
submissions can be made in writing or by email to Ann Moore, Town
Clerk, Westport Civic Offices, Westport, Mayo.