KILDARE County Council is to hold a special meeting today to decide finally on several of the highly contentious land rezoning decisions made by its Clane Area Committee.
Despite intense opposition from the local community the four area councillors two Fianna Fail and two Fine Gael have reaffirmed most of the rezonings in the Clane area and recommended these to the full council.
Of the 139 acres originally rezoned against planning advice the four councillors Mr Liam Doyle (FF), Mr Jim Reilly (FG) Mr P.J. Sheridan (FF) and Mr Sean Reilly (FG) decided to omit 16 acres and reduce the housing density of some of the other proposals.
But the local action group, which claims to have the support of over 80 per cent of Clane residents, has described these amendments as "cosmetic" and said they go nowhere near reflecting the public will that rezoning be limited to a maximum of 100 new houses.
This was made clear to the councillors at a recent public meeting in Clane. "Even Charlie McCreevy (FF) and Bernard Durkan (FG) were pleading with their fellow party members to think again," said one of those present.
Local people are mystified that their own councillors have remained so steadfast on rezoning in the face of overwhelming public opposition and say they will be called on to account for their actions at the next local elections. However, this poll has been postponed until 1998.
If the Clane Area Committee's recommendations are confirmed by the full council, and all of the rezoned land developed, the population of the village would nearly double over the next five years or so.
Residents fear Clane would be swamped by suburban housing which would put intolerable pressure on already overcrowded schools and poor roads.
The haphazard nature of the area committee's rezoning decisions runs counter to recent calls for a rational "settlement strategy' in the metropolitan area by the Dublin Regional Authority, the Mid East Regional Authority and, the Dublin Transportation Office.
There is also widespread opposition in Kilcock and Maynooth to land rezoning decisions made by local councillors which would have the effect of doubling populations in these localities too. However, they are not expected to be considered by the full council until September.
It is understood 5,000 objections were lodged against the Maynooth rezonings, which include a controversial plan to permit housing and industrial development on both sides of the avenue linking the main street with Carton Demesne.
According to one source, the outcome of today's meeting is "too close to call". On previous occasions, the full council has reversed particularly controversial rezoning decisions by its area committees and may do so again.
The composition of the 25 member council is Greens, one Democratic Left, one Sinn Fein one Progressive Democrats, two Independents, two Labour, three Fine Gael, seven and Fianna Fail, eight Mr Scan Reilly (FG) is likely to be its new chairman.
