After two extensions of time granted by the Minister for the Environment, Wicklow County Council has agreed a draft replacement for its 1989 development plan.
The new plan, which was finally agreed yesterday, was opposed by a number of councillors, who accused the chairman, Mr Pat Vance (FF), of "behaving like a little Hitler" in curtailing further debate.
The Labour Party councillor, Mr Tommy Cullen, who has spearheaded a campaign against Roadstone's quarrying activities at Glen Ding, told The Irish Times he was "disgusted to see the new county development plan actually make provision for the quarrying to go ahead."
When Mr Cullen tried to make his point in the chamber, he was ruled out of order by the chairman, who told him the issues had all been fully debated. Mr Tom Honan (FG) received a similar response from Mr Vance when he sought to raise issues in relation to development at Arklow. Mr Honan told the chairman: "You are a complete dictator. You are just booting this plan through".
Most councillors, however, were happy that the issues had been covered, and Mr Liam Kavanagh (Lab) received confirmation that the plan would not be adopted until the council had had another chance to debate its measures after the public consultation period.
The draft development plan includes a growth strategy which centres on development in towns and villages which are to increase dramatically in size. These include the primary growth centres of Arklow, Baltinglass, Blessington, Bray, Greystones/ Delgany, Carnew, Wicklow, Newtownmountkennedy and Rathdrum.
Secondary growth centres include Ashford, Aughrim, Avoca, Dunlavin, Kilcoole, Newcastle, Rathnew, Roundwood, Shillelagh and Tinahely.
Much of the pressure for land rezoning is a result of overspill from Co Dublin, with the population of Greystones/Delgany predicted to rise from 11,296 in 1996 to 22,000 by the year 2016, and that of Blessington from 1,860 to 5,000. By 2016 the population of the county is predicted as 128,000, the highest since the famines of the 1840s.
The draft plan notes that the council is to prepare mini development plans for all towns and villages to ensure that enough land is zoned for the growth strategy.
Apart from quarrying at Glen Ding, the next most controversial proposal is likely to be the inclusion of a "superdump" at Ballynagran/Coolbeg, near Rathnew. The plan aims to protect a number of natural and cultural amenities in the county. These include the Wicklow Mountains National Park as established by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, but having regard "to the social and economic needs of the community".
