Council calls on Roche to resign over LAP letter

Meath County Council and a Government minister are this week embroiled in a major row over plans to develop a controversial tract of land in east Meath. Members of Meath County Council on Monday called on Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche to resign as a fierce row erupted over the controversial local area plan (LAP) relating to a piece of land south of Drogheda. The call for the resignation of the minister followed a meeting of the council on Monday after further discussion of the controversial South Drogheda Environs draft LAP, and followed remarks made by the minister in a letter which sharply criticised the county council over its handling of the plan. The proposal calling on Mr Roche to resign was made by independent councillor Brian Fitzgerald. Councillors also decided to write to the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, seeking the minister"s resignation. Councillors deferred consideration of Meath County Manager Tom Dowling"s report on submissions received following the display of the draft LAP to a special meeting on Monday next, 8th December. The plan has to be adopted by mid-December. Circulated at Monday"s meeting of the county council were copies of letters from Mr Roche to Mr Dowling and from the manager to the minister regarding the South Drogheda draft plan. The letter from Mr Roche traced the history of planning for lands at Bryanstown, near Drogheda, stating that landowners had been encouraged to fund an Area Action Plan (AAP) covering these lands to be produced under the guidance and management of the county council. The process then moved on in line with normal preparation of a local area plan but this was not published by the council, said Mr Roche. He said the reasons for this had not been explained. This LAP had never been put before the county council"e elected members, he claimed. The draft LAP for the South Drogheda Environs, however, had suggested 'giving preferential planning treatment' to lands which had been designated originally as 'a strategic land reserve'. This relates to lands at Mill Road, Drogheda. The minister, in his letter, criticised Meath County Council strongly for its action in the case, saying that having given - in his view - a very clear basis for a reasonable expectation that the lands at Bryanstown would be allowed to move to the planning stage, it then sought 'to effectively reverse that implicit undertaking'. The reply from Mr Dowling said Meath County Council refuted in the strongest terms the minister"s comments on the administration of the draft LAP by the council. He said the County Development Plan 2007-2013 included a policy that the LAP should have regard to and be influenced by the Planning Strategy for the Greater Drogheda Area 2007. However, it specifically identified lands at both Bryanstown and the Mill Road area for future residential zoning. The Planning Strategy for the Greater Drogheda Area was not a statutory document for the purposes of LAP preparation, he added. The draft LAP, as currently proposed, allocated about 2,500 residential units to the Bryanstown area. This would eventually result in a population of about 7,000 people which was roughly equivalent to the entire populations of Trim or Ratoath and slightly less than Ashbourne. Contact had occurred over the years between Meath County Council (and Louth Co Council and Drogheda Borough Council) and a consortium connected to Bryanstown landowners. These were progressed in good faith by both sides but were 'clearly subject to the appropriate statutory considerations', said the manager. Widespread concern was voiced by councillors at Mr Roche"s remarks in his letter. Councillor Ann Dillon Gallagher seconded the call from Cllr Fitzgerald for the minister"s resignation. Cllr Jimmy Fegan recalled comments made in a Sunday newspaper report in September by Minister Roche and Meath East TD, Shane McEntee, relating to this issue, describing them as a slur on members and planners. Cllr Tommy Reilly said he was 'astounded' at the letter from Minister Roche. Cllr Joe Reilly said his view was that Mr Roche was obliged to bring his concerns formally to Environment Minister, John Gormley. The constant reminders to Meath County Councillors of their obligations under ethics legislation were raised by Cllr Jimmy Cudden, which they had always respected, he said.