Corruption of plan alleged at council session

Allegations that the Wicklow County Development Plan had been "corrupted" were made at a meeting of Wicklow County Council yesterday.

Mr Tommy Cullen of West Wicklow insisted that a road improvement scheme at Tinode on the N81 would result in land in the area effectively being rezoned for housing.

He maintained that officials of the county council had acted beyond their powers in granting planning permission for houses in the area without the permission being approved by the elected councillors, by way of a material contravention of the County Development Plan.

Mr Cullen was supported by the Green Party councillor, Ms Deirdre De Burca. She called on the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, to assess the conduct of Fine Gael councillors on the issue.

Both Ms De Burca and Mr Cullen said that a community group in Blessington intended making a submission to the Flood tribunal on the matter. Ms De Burca said she had been denied a planning file by council officials.

The meeting was suspended twice, the first time after heckling from the capacity crowd in the public gallery. Refusing to sit down, a Blessington man, Mr Jim Blake, said he had been in dispute with the council since the 1960s over land requirements for road improvements, but added: "I never got my money. They said files were lost."

At this point the chairman, Mr George Jones, adjourned the meeting and officials called gardai. Order was restored after a short break and the gardai were advised that they were no longer required.

Mr Billy Timmins TD, of Fine Gael, said he was outraged at Ms De Burca's "misinformation and innuendo". Mr Sylvester Burke, of Fine Gael, also objected strongly, saying: "She is suggesting we are corrupt."

ail councillor, Mr Joe Behan, The meeting was adjourned again to allow Ms De Burca to consider withdrawing her remarks. Afterwards she indicated that she would not make an unconditional withdrawal.

For the council staff, the acting county manager, Mr Hubert Fitzpatrick, said allegations of the development plan being corrupted and of planning requirements being ignored had been made at a previous meeting in relation to the same issue.

Mr Fitzpatrick said that after the previous meeting the council had written to councillors who made the suggestions, seeking details and any substantiation they might provide. The council had not received any replies, he revealed.