Local Portmarnock Labour Councillor Peter Coyle has strongly criticised the granting of Planning Permission for an Aldi store on the scenic coastal location of the White Sands Hotel, Portmarnock. He states that he is disappointed that the County Manager did not become directly involved in such a silly and stupid decision, which is clearly contrary to the Fingal County Development Plan. Cllr Peter Coyle (Cathaoirleach in 2005 during the adoption of the current Development Plan) had appealed to the Manager on a number of occasions to become directly involved in the case, given that he was Director of Planning during the adoption of the Development Plan. His non-involvement shows that the name ‘Manager’ in the “Managers Report” of planning files is meaningless.
The ironic matter is that in the Draft Manager's 2011-2017
County Development Plan (now under consideration) a significant proposed change
is the Manager’s recommendation to restore the zoning on the
Sands Hotel lands to Residential, and with no Local Objective.
The
zoning proposed RS is similar to all the lands immediately adjacent and as
applied pre 2005.
"To
provide for residential development and to protect and improve residential
amenity"
It
is obvious that the Manager himself agrees that the zoning and the Local
Objective shown in the 2005 Development Plan for this site was miss-interpreted
(local Objective 226 "To retain the primary use of hotel on
this site”.) There is no reference to a suburban Centre at this
location in the Written Statement of the 2005-2011 County Development Plan.
In
a very recent communication to the County Manager Cllr Peter Coyle stated:
“It
does look that a colouring mistake was made on the map indicating the site (in
reality associated with the definition of "site" under the Local
Objective). Even if the site is taken as "Suburban Centre", an hotel
and a supermarket does not meet the defined Objectives and Vision defined for a
suburban centre ...which has to be a variety of mixed uses:
"The aim is to
further develop and consolidate these centres with an appropriate mix of
commercial, recreational, cultural, leisure, residential uses, and to enhance
and develop the urban fabric of these centres in accordance with the principles
of urban design, conservation and sustainable development."
I hope that you will intervene and
not have an embarrassing decision allowed in this case”
Cllr Peter Coyle is disappointed
that the County Manager did not intervene. Peter will be bringing an Appeal to
An Bord Pleanála and seek an Oral Hearing. He will be calling to have the
County Manager, David O’Connor, and Senior Planner, Sean Ó Faircheallaigh
present to put their position……which has to be similar to Cllr Peter Coyle’s
own position (and embarrassing for Fingal Co Council).