Executive accused of pro Athlone bias

The executive of Westmeath County Council has been slated by a Mullingar-based councillor for what he sees as its increasing pro-Athlone bias.

Cllr Andrew Duncan said he was spurred to speak out this week after the council organised an information session for the new Westmeath County Development Plan (CDP) for Thursday April 12 from 3pm to 7pm, when the original deadline for submissions was at 5pm on the same day.

The council subsequently extended the deadline until April 20 when it was pointed out to them by Cllr Duncan.

The CDP information session in Athlone that took place last Thursday April 5 was well advertised by the council on Twitter and Facebook. As of Friday afternoon there was no mention on either social media platform or on their website of this week's event in Mullingar or the one in Castlepollard on Wednesday.

Cllr Duncan believes that the meetings in north Westmeath may have been hastily arranged after he inquired whether the council had plans to hold infomation sessions in this part of the county. He says that the timing of the events and the lack of promotion for them is indicative of a growing pro-Athlone bias among the council's executive.

“My biggest issue is that it shows where Mullingar is now in the scheme of things. The meeting in Athlone was well advertised but the one in Mullingar was organised to take place when the original deadline was due to elapse. It wouldn't inspire confidence.

“The centre of the universe is not Mullingar [to the executive] and I am firmly of a mind that they have made a decision that it's in Athlone and we have to wake up to that fact.”

Cllr Dunan says that the councillors based in north Westmeath have to resist any move by the executive to favour Athlone over Mullingar. He also urged members of the public to make submissions before the deadline date.

“I am now becoming of the view that they are steering the ship towards Athone and it is time for Mullingar to say we are not going to accept it.”
Westmeath County Council issued a statement saying that it had extended its deadline to 5pm on April 20 to ensure that “attendees at these sessions [in Mullingar and Castlepollard] would have an opportunity to prepare and lodge a submission”.

Westmeath County Council issued a statement saying that it had extended its deadline to 5pm on April 20 to ensure that “attendees at these sessions [in Mullingar and Castlepollard] would have an opportunity to prepare and lodge a submission”.