Wicklow County Council has been accused of undermining the planning process by signing a deal with property developers to rezone land in return for community facilities.
The Greystones Protection and Development Association said yesterday that a decision to rezone 80 acres at Charlesland on the basis of a signed agreement between council management and the property developer, was prejudging any planning application which might be subsequently made on the land.
On Monday councillors approved an agreement between council management and property developers Seán Dunne and Seán Mulryan's Brambleglen Developments to rezone the 80 acres from employment uses to a mixed use involving a shopping centre, 210 houses and and enterprise centre.
In return the developers agreed to "community gain" facilities including sites for a primary school, a Garda station and a €3 million contribution to a proposed community centre.
However, the Greystones association insisted that in agreeing to the deal, the council had prejudged the planning process in that the moves represented a "planning permission for infrastructure" deal in advance of a planning application.
Evelyn Cawley, association spokeswoman, said the deal would result in 1,500 people being added to the local population above that proposed by the council's planning consultants, Murray O'Laoire and Associates.
The association insisted the area was being intensively developed for housing at the expense of employment opportunities, which gave rise to excessive commuting between Greystones and Dublin.
