'Need for more zoned land in rural areas', officials told

The need to zone lands outside of the main Westmeath towns of Mullingar and Athlone, was raised with officials of the county council during the authority’s January monthly meeting.

“I know a number of projects which would like to get going across various towns, but are constrained at the minute due to the land zoning. Obviously, the more projects we can get up and going, the better,” Cllr Vinny McCormack stated at the meeting, while party colleague, Cllr Frankie Keena, pressed for an update on the Athlone Urban area plan.

“I’m eager to get an answer on what is going to happen in the area,” Cllr Keena stated.

County chief executive Barry Kehoe stated that a report will be brought before the members of the council at their February meeting on the need to have additional lands outside Mullingar and Athlone zoned.

Cllr Keena said that it is hoped to Minister for Housing, James Brown, in Athlone shortly to turn the first sod at Plovers Wood and he felt it would be good to have had the opportunity to see the plan in advance of the minister’s visit.

Responding, director of services, Deirdre Reilly stated that the council had a meeting with the Department of Housing and Local Government in December on the Athlone joint urban area plan.

“We’ve had several meetings with Roscommon in the last few weeks to formulate a plan forward, and we’ll be having a special meeting between the elected members in Athlone and Roscommon to give you the timeline for the plan, and just to assure you it’s our highest priority now to get that plan out to yourselves and the draft plan to the members as soon as possible. So that’ll be happening in the next week or two,” Ms Reilly stated.

She said she could not yet give an exact timeline: “We just want to make sure that we’re on the right side of the legislation and that we’re bringing it through accurately in accordance with the new act,” she stated.