Search Results for 'senior planner'

The long running debacle surrounding the Mayo development plan looks to be finally coming to a conclusion. Ian Douglas, senior planner for Mayo County Council told a meeting of the council: “The situation as far I know, is that the Department of Environment has agreed in principle to find some mechanism to finalise the plan that was agreed on March 23, that doesn’t compromise the Minister’s directive.”

One of the finest examples of “Saints and Scholars” Ireland – the Clonmacnoise ruins just outside Ballinahown – could soon be viewed in the same light as Stonehenge, Macchu Pichu or the Pyramids of Giza, it was revealed in a presentation to Westmeath County Council this week (May 25).

From the initial planning stages it has been a long struggle for the Mayo County Development Plan 2008 to 2014 to come to fruition to the satisfaction of the elected members and the Department of Environment and Local Government under the direction of Minister John Gormley. But last Monday the new development plan, which has taken up many hours of planning, discussion, meetings and angry exchanges across the country, finally came to a conclusion when the elected members voted in favour of a new ministerial directive issued by Minister for the Environment John Gormley on September 16 2009, overturning his previous directive of July 11 2008.

The planning and economic development SPC of Mayo County Council will have to keep a close eye on the new planning bill that is passing through the Oireachtas at the moment. The bill caused a lot of concern for the members of Mayo County Council at their monthly meeting the previous week when it was raised and the members of the SPC expressed similar concerns.

The potential refusal of planning permission for a house at Killaghwuan, Castlebar led to one councillor asking for a site meeting for the councillors to inspect the site, and another questioning the validity of one of the councils reasons for refusing the application. The discussion took place at a meeting of the Castlebar electoral area committee on Thursday.

Independent Ballina county councillor Gerry Ginty this week hit out at planners’ interpretation of planning guidelines at the Ballina electoral area meeting. The meeting was discussing two planning applications. Planners had cited the visual impact of the house as a reason for the refusal.