Rezoning of land for GAA Club ‘wrong way of going about providing amenities’
By Aimee Walsh
DISSAPOINTMENT for a local GAA Club as a motion to rezone land in Rathcoole from agricultural to residential use is voted against.
The decision to not rezone the land at Rathcreedan, Rathcoole was the result of three motions that were voted against by the majority of local councillors at a County Development Plan Meeting on Friday, June 18.
As reported in The Echo recently, local GAA club St Finian’s club member Mr Con McCarthy submitted a joint proposal to South Dublin County Council for the rezoning of the land, with the potential to develop 250 houses.
Mr Mc Carthy, who is the owner of the subject lands, proposed to provide a minimum of 3.2 hectares of the 26-acre site and “significant funding” to provide leisure and recreational facilities at the site for the GAA club and other members of the community.
These facilities include an all-weather pitch, basketball courts, dressing rooms and walking, cycling and jogging tracks.
The motion to rezone the land was a point of contention for many councillors, as lengthy discussions took place before the vote.
Councillor Francis Timmons, one of the councillors who tabled the motion to rezone the land said that it was out of “frustration” over the lack of amenities in Newcastle.
Cllr Timmons said: “It is not an ideal situation. I would like to see the council providing facilities and amenities – they have thousands of people there and no facilities.
“There doesn’t seem to be any other option, the local area plan has failed the people up in Newcastle.”
St Finian’s previously stated that Newcastle is “starved of recreational facilities” and, in relation to the housing aspect of Mr McCarthy’s plans, they said the development would result in “a very significant planning gain that will benefit generations of children and young adults”.
During the discussion around the motion, councillor Madeleine Johansson said that the rezoning is the “wrong way of going about providing local amenities”.
“Doing any deals to provide amenities for rezoning of land to residential is not how we should go about things. I get the reason why it may seem like a good idea, but it is not the way to do it, I can’t support this motion,” said Cllr Johansson.
Councillor Louise Dunne echoed this by saying: “I feel for the club who are lacking in facilities, but it is shameful that developers are using clubs to lobby for it. Yes, we should be actively supporting the club but there is no way we should be going down this road and I will not be supporting this motion.”
Councillor Alan Hayes backed the motion, saying that he knows it gets support from the community, and it is something “the community wants and needs”.
All three motions to rezone the land from agricultural to residential were voted against, shelving the plans for any housing development or sports facilities.
