Politicians' kneejerk reaction to Tara plan

Dear sir - The deadline for submissions on the Draft Landscape Conservation Area for Tara Skryne is Wednesday 16th June. This initiative was first announced by the Minister for Environment, Dick Roche, in May 2005 and it was subsequently incorporated in the Meath County Development Plan 2007-2013, which was adopted by local councillors following public consultation. As one of the many people in Meath who took part in the consultation process organised by Meath County Council over the past year, I was very pleased to see the level of effort that was made to consult with and inform local residents, community groups, businesses, farming and sporting interests, as well as relevant stakeholders, local representatives and the various heritage, landscape and planning experts. Having studied the details now published in the Draft LCA, I welcome the proposal as I believe it will prove of great benefit to the heritage, the local people and the economy of Meath: (i) it will strengthen the protection of this unique heritage and cultural landscape, (ii) it will facilitate and inform a long-term programme of research and better interpretation of the heritage (in collaboration with local people), (iii) it will assist sustainable development and protection of the rural environment, (iv) it will greatly enhance the lives of local residents and communities, (v) it will attract greater numbers of quality tourists to Meath with all the benefits that will bring, and (vi) it will foster and enable new enterprises to facilitate and service this new demand. Clearly the above view is at odds with the views being circulated by some local representatives (both TDs and councillors) in recent weeks. These politicians seem to see nothing good in it at all. Instead of informed discussion, fears are being stoked up with alarming results. Residents are being warned that their children may not be able to get planning permissions, some now think that existing permissions will be revoked, farmers are worried that their livelihoods will be seriously interfered with. Some wild and emotive language has been used. In one circular I have seen, there is talk of future generations being 'crucified' and of people being 'practically evicted from their homes'! Most of them warn of a 'green agenda'. Now where is this coming from? And why is no one asking these councillors and TDs why they are only speaking up now? After all, if this landscape conservation area is potentially so damaging, why then did none of these elected representatives shout 'stop' when the initiative was first announced in 2005? Why did they not organise public meetings at that time? Why were they happy to vote for its inclusion in the development plan in 2006? Why did they allow the process to continue unchallenged since then? And why, more recently, did they not attend the workshop where the outlines of the draft boundary were drawn up and where they could have made an observation? Only two of the 29 councillors attended. During the consultations we were assured that the proposal will not affect the current practice in relation to planning permissions for one-off housing in rural areas of Meath - that is reflected in the document. And, in relation to the schedule of de-exempted development (industrial uses, statutory undertakers, agricultural buildings above a certain size, etc), I feel that overall the conditions make sense and are not unduly restrictive. Obviously they will affect some activities but de-exemption does not mean the particular development cannot be built - only that it will need to go through the planning process (as in the case of most other developments). In reality it would seem to be frustration with - and distrust of - planning policy generally that is fuelling some of these fears. This is understandable but has it really anything to do with the proposed landscape conservation area? By raising alarms so late in the process, and by encouraging knee-jerk reactions rather than informed discussion and questioning, there is now a clear danger that the majority of councillors will come under pressure to reject the proposal in July. Those who are stoking fears now will claim credit (and votes) for this, but, when the smoke blows over, what in reality will they have achieved? More importantly, what will they have destroyed? Yours, Julitta Clancy, Parsonstown, Batterstown.