ABOUT 3,000 objections or representations have been lodged against land rezoning decisions and other planning changes by Fingal county councillors in the Swords area of north Co Dublin.
More than 200 acres of agricultural land, some of it beyond the town's designated boundary, have been rezoned for residential development as well as 128 acres for industry and a further 21 acres for shopping facilities.
Most of these decisions were made by the councillors against the advice of their planning officials, who had sought to limit any increase in development land in Swords to take account of its sewage treatment capacity.
Mr Ken Duffy, spokesman for Swords Community Council, said it had delivered more than 2,000 written objections to the revised development plan on behalf of local residents, and he estimated that many others had been made independently.
"What people in Swords want is a say in the development of the town. Despite the various action committees, nobody in power is listening and there is a large amount of frustration in the area," said Mr Duffy.
The community council elected three months ago, had made a point of canvassing people's views and found that many were unaware of the extent of the proposed developments.
Mr Duffy said the most recent land rezoning "seems to be all money-orientated" in the sense that it facilitated particular landowners. "The local councillors are being ostracised for what they've been doing," he added.
"It seems they just vote `yes, yes, yes' to everything, regardless of the need for constructive planning."
The community council also objects to plans to locate the county council offices in the town park, opposite Swords Castle.
All of the objections and representations must be taken into account by the county councils before they make a final decision to adopt the development plan for Swords early in 1997.
