An Taisce has warned it will challenge the Wicklow County Development Plan if the council decides at its meeting today to adopt controversial development strategies.
Wicklow County Council is currently adopting town plans as part its 1999 County Development Plan, but concern has been expressed at the amount of rezon- ing taking place in areas defined by the Strategic Planning Guidelines as "greenbelt hinterland".
The Minister for the Environment has previously written to the council asking it to outline how the development plan adheres to the guidelines which became law in January 2000.
In accordance with the guidelines Wicklow County Council has nominated a primary growth centre at Wicklow town, and a secondary growth centre at Arklow. The council has extensively rezoned land around the towns of Bray and Greystones which fall within the Dublin Metropolitan area, as defined by the guidelines.
But the council also intends to rezone in the "hinterland area" which according to the guidelines should be designated greenbelt. Development in these towns and villages in the hinterland should be for local need only.
However, the council has prepared development plans for the villages of Enniskerry, Kilcoole, Newtownmountkennedy (Newtown), Ashford and Glenealy, all in the greenbelt area, which ex- ceed the definition of local need.
Council officials have argued that the strategy is a development plan for up to 2016, with the development being "front loaded" into the early years of the plan. The move effectively brings forward the proposed rezoning needs of the next 14 years to current usage.
The move has sparked protest in the villages of Kilcoole and Newtown where local groups have already succeeded in getting earlier, more ambitious development plans, put on hold.
Locals point out that Newtown is not served by Dublin Bus, has no link to the rail service, no health centre, cinema, or other items of social infrastructure.
There is only one second-level school between Bray and Wicklow town. A second senior school which was initially sanctioned by Ms Gemma Hussey in 1985, is nearing completion but is already oversubscribed.
The rezonings are being opposed by the Wicklow Planning Alliance and An Taisce. Dr Craig Bishop of the Newtownmount- kennedy Action Group says the rezonings have severe implications for the existing community and he has called on the Minister for the Environment, Mr Demp- sey, to enforce the guidelines.
The Dublin Transport Office has written to the council object- ing to the development of commuter housing estates in the county, pointing out that it extends suburban traffic difficulties and impairs the strategic value of the Dublin -Rosslare corridor.
An Taisce is currently mounting a legal challenge to greenbelt rezonings which are part of the Meath County Development plan and a spokesman for the organisation said it would also challenge the Wicklow plan, in conjunction with the local action group, if the guidelines were breached.
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