Rezoning added #4m to value of Jackson Way land

The rezoning of part of Jackson Way's land in Carrickmines in 1997 increased its value by almost £4 million, the tribunal has heard.

But Mr John Caldwell, a solicitor who has been linked to the ownership of Jackson Way, said Mr Frank Dunlop wasn't paid anything for his work.

He agreed with Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, that it was "all duck and no dinner" for Mr Dunlop. The lobbyist had a deal under which he would be given one commercial acre of land if all of the company's 108 acres were rezoned.

In the event, Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown councillors voted to rezone only 26 acres of the company's land, located north of the proposed South-Eastern motorway, and Mr Dunlop was paid "absolutely nothing". However, Mr Caldwell pointed out, he had a fee arrangement with adjoining landowners whose property was also rezoned. Mr Dunlop received £30,000 for his work on behalf of these interests.

The act of rezoning the Jackson Way land increased its value from £250,000 an acre to £400,000, Mr Caldwell told the tribunal. He said he had no recollection of discussing with Mr Jim Kennedy the employment of Mr Dunlop to help rezone the lands in 1997. But he was certain Mr Kennedy, his partner in Jackson Way, would have mentioned this, and the fact that Mr Dunlop was on a success fee of one acre of commercial land if all the land was rezoned. He said the attempt to rezone all the land on both sides of the motorway was "a lost cause".

There was, however, a high probability that the 26 acres of land to the north of the motorway would be successfully rezoned, and this is what eventually happened in December 1997.

Regarding an earlier attempt to rezone the Carrickmines lands in 1992, Mr Caldwell said he didn't discuss with Mr Kennedy who was to sign the rezoning motion for the lands, which were then held in the name of Paisley Park. It didn't matter to him who signed it. He met Mr Dunlop about 10 times during this period but wasn't interested in which way councillors were voting.

Mr Caldwell said the politicians had to consider the jobs potential of the proposals to rezone lands in Carrickmines, but they were "overwhelmed" by local opposition. They were faced with a "vociferous" action group whose agenda was "to keep the Carrickmines Valley green for themselves and their dogs".

The witness told his counsel, Mr Ian Finlay SC, that he believed Mr Dunlop had made allegations against Mr Kennedy out of a sense of revenge. Mr Dunlop had lost a large amount of money when his attempt to rezone land at Baldoyle failed, and one of the main reasons for this failure stemmed from Mr Kennedy's opposition to his development plans. The tribunal continues.