A NORTH Dublin county councillor has been urged to abstain from a vote on a zoning change to accommodate a commercial development after he was listed as a contact in an advertisement for the scheme.
Fingal county councillor Ciarán Byrne has sought a change in zoning in the new county development plan to accommodate Holmpatrick Cove near Skerries.
Mr Byrne, a Labour councillor, is listed as a contact in the advertisement for the development in the Skerries Chamber of Commerce directory.
Mr Byrne said he was a supporter of the scheme, which would lead to the development of a swimming pool, playing fields, a hotel and housing for the Skerries area, but he had no vested interest, monetary or otherwise, in the development.
However, socialist TD Clare Daly, who was a Fingal councillor until the election, said there were ethical problems with Mr Byrne’s involvement in the project.
In the last set of council meetings on the development plan, Mr Byrne proposed that lands at a 25-acre coastal site at Holmpatrick, about 1km from the centre of Skerries, be given a new zoning designation, which would allow a specific development.
The majority of the lands had been zoned open space. The new “local objective” zoning would allow the construction of 22 houses and a hotel, but only if three playing fields and a swimming pool were built for use by the community.
Mr Byrne’s motion was passed by 11 votes to nine with three abstentions, against the recommendation of the county manager, who said the development would be inappropriate given the “scenic and isolated” nature of the site and inadequate public transport links.
Following this meeting an advertisement appeared in the Chamber of Commerce directory for Holmpatrick Cove stating that “to help make this happen”, people should e-mail Mr Byrne.
The final vote on the development plan will be held next week and Ms Daly said Mr Byrne should declare his interest and absent himself from the council chamber.
“Holmpatrick Cove is a private commercial development. If the councillors uphold the decision taken earlier to allow development take place, then the owners of the site stand to benefit considerably. There are serious ethical considerations when the person pushing the project on the council also appears to be the contact point for the development,” she said.
Mr Byrne said he supported the scheme because of the benefits it would bring the people of Skerries, but he was not a promoter of the development.
“I stand over my motion, which was put in the proper, normal way. I would not gain in any way and have no interest in it other than it is a brilliant project for Skerries.”
Mr Byrne said he had not seen the advertisement, but had allowed his name to be used as someone who could explain the planning issues involved.
His motion “put a set of handcuffs” on the developers which meant the swimming pool and playing pitches must be in place before the residential and commercial aspects of the site could go ahead. He added that the manger’s report was inaccurate in that the number 38 bus passed the site.
A spokeswoman for the council yesterday said it was not aware of any breach of rules by Mr Byrne.
“To the best of our knowledge, he has no material interest in the lands or proposal under consideration and he is entitled as a public representative to participate and vote in the development plan review process.”
