THERE is a "massive groundswell" of opposition in Kilcock to the councillors' rezoning decisions, according to Mr Tony Martin, a local resident. "I knew very little about local government until a few weeks ago, and what I've found out about it since then has really shocked me."
The latest Kilcock development plan started out by zoning 18 acres of additional land for residential development. But by the time the county councillors were finished this had increased to more than 200 acres enough to cater for an additional 4,000 people, according to the county planner, Mr Philip Jones.
He told a meeting of the council's Clane Area Committee that a new primary school would be needed. But Cllr Liam Doyle (FF) "felt there was no need for an extra school as the existing schools were losing teachers", according to the minutes.
He was supported by Cllr Jim Reilly (FG), who said a new school would not be needed for 15 years.
Since then, however, it has been established by local anti rezoning campaigners that these claims were incorrect. They say school numbers have increased from 1,130 pupils in 1991 to 1,486 now a 30 per cent increase.
The largest single area rezoned in Kilcock is the Courtown Estate, owned by Mr Brendan O'Mahony, a solicitor and car enthusiast. His land lies south of the bypass, physically removed from the town, and its designation for industry and an "integrated leisure development" depends on providing a new motorway interchange.
Compared with the existing built up area and the land already zoned for housing in 1985 but not yet developed, the latest rezonings threaten to overwhelm Kilcock, in the view of its residents. According to Mr Martin, 98 per cent of them have signed a petition against the plan and are now pressing the county council to have it overturned.