Councillors to challenge Ballivor planning declaration

Trim councillors are to challenge Meath County Council’s declaration that the development of a drug rehabilitation centre on the former national school site in Ballivor would not need a new planning permission.

At a Trim Municipal District meeting today, councillors collectively agreed to make a what is known as a section five reference regarding the council’s opinion that a change of use was not required by the Narconon Trust for the development of a drug rehab centre. The existing planning permission for a nursing home on the site was granted in 2014.

Director of Services Des Foley said it was open to councillors or any group or individual to make a section five reference to dispute this opinion and at the meeting councillors agreed to do this. He said Bord Pleanala are the final arbitrators on whether planning permission is needed or not.

Standing orders were suspended at the meeting to discuss the controversial plans by the Narconon Trust, which is linked to Church of Scientology,  and questions were raised about why the declaration was not on the planning file and why it only emerged this week that the council had made the declaration in October 2016.

Cllr Noel French expressed his outrage that councillors had stood up at a public meeting and said the council knew nothing about Narconon or Scientology in relation to the site in December and asked why it had taken so long to find this information out.

"It is a kick in the teeth for the people of Ballivor and a kick on the head for the councillors," he said. 

"We the group Ballivor Says No, had hoped to challenge a change of use for the building, but this revelation removes that opportunity."

Cllr French they had been left with "egg on their face" and that the council should apologise.

Cllr Caroline Lynch said they had a duty of care to vulnerable people with addictions to not let them be exploited, and said it was “scandalous” that there are no national standards or regulations in relation to addiction. She argued that medical addiction services is a material change in planning from a nursing home.

Cllr Trevor Golden said as councillors they should look at putting forward a motion to change the zoning and put in a framework plan to decide what is appropriate for the site.

Cllr Enda Flynn said it was difficult to understand how a group can look after people with addictions without being monitored when there are such stringent regulations for other bodies.

Cllr Joe Fox said they were where they were regarding planning and needed to move forward and they could do so by invoking section five and challenging the council’s opinion to an Bord Pleanala.

Director of Services Des Foley told the meeting that Narconon did not make an application for planning permission and the planning permission on the site is for a nursing home which was granted in December 2014. He said since planning was granted, the council had received a request from the Narconon Trust to make a declaration and give an opinion on whether or not a new planning permission was needed and based on the information received, it responded that in its opinion, the change of use as described didn't require further planning permission.