Planning chiefs 'should be ashamed of themselves', says Longford councillor
A document projecting Longford’s future development over the course of the next six years was out of date the day it was signed off on, it was claimed last week.
Longford’s Co Development Plan 2021-2027 was approved last November as part of an all-round overview of the county’s housing, infrastructural and planning requirements over the next six years.
The finer points of that plan were called into question at last week’s meeting of Longford County Council following a blistering attack by Cllr Seamus Butler (pictured).
The long serving local representative hit out at the Office of the Planning Regulator and Department of Local Government officials over a decision to rubber-stamp the plan using 2016 Census figures as opposed to its more recent 2022 equivalent.
“(It was) put down our throats by the Office of the Planning Regulator and the Department when we were trying to plan for housing in this county.
“I don’t expect an apology but they should be ashamed of themselves if they claim to be the experts in saying that our population would not reach the 45,000 odd that it did until at least 2038.
“Well, ye got it wrong lads.”
Cllr Butler said the refusal of a primary health care centre in Edgeworthstown last year based on capacity concerns linked to a local waste water treatment plant was a case in point of the difficulties the council now faced.
In a stinging attack, Cllr Butler said decisions taken by senior civil servants in “their bastions in Dublin” was to the detriment of elected members locally.
“They think they rule the country, The Pale hasn’t gone away you know,” he seethed.
Independent Cllr Gerry Warnock was just as outspoken, claiming department officials at central government level hadn't a 'scooby doo' of what was happening locally.
“But dare you speak it up and dare you inform these guys in their ivory towers that know it all, they don’t,” he argued.
Fine Gael's Paul Ross agreed, saying the plan which spelled out Longford's developmental future between now and 2027 was effectively obsolete.
“The unfortunate reality is the county development plan was out of date the day we launched it,” he said.