South Dublin county councillors are due to debate a controversial motion this afternoon on whether to rezone 425 acres of greenfield agricultural lands around Newcastle and Rathcoole villages in Co Dublin.
The lands include approximately 30 acres owned by Laurence Harney, a brother of the acting leader of the Progressive Democrats and Minister for Health Mary Harney.
A spokesman for Ms Harney said she had "no beneficial interest whatsoever" in the transaction in question.
Laurence Harney was unavailable for comment yesterday.
A motion supporting a draft variation to the current South Dublin County development plan, which allow for the rezoning, is due to be debated this afternoon.
A similar motion proposed by a local Progressive Democrats councillor, Gerard Cullen, was agreed by the council's Lucan-Clondalkin area committee last month.
The lands in question are the property of a group of local landowners and developer Sandymark Construction Ltd. They are located between Newcastle and Rathcoole, not far from Citywest and the nearby commuter towns of Lucan and Clondalkin.
Despite strong opposition to the proposed rezoning from council planners, it is believed the plans stand a good chance of being passed eventually, due to support for the idea from many councillors. A decision on whether to accept the draft variation may be deferred for a month at today's meeting.
Under the proposals, Sandymark Construction Ltd says it will provide 300 houses at a reduced price for locals, at least 60 acres of parks, and 600 further houses as part of the affordable housing scheme.
It says it will also provide all necessary infrastructure, will set aside 15 acres for school use, and that the development will be phased over 10 to 15 years.
A brochure produced to accompany the plan stresses that the managing director of Sandymark, Con McCarthy, has strong links to the community.
"Sandymark Construction Ltd are in partnership with local landowners, whose desire to see Newcastle develop properly is equally as strong as our own," it says.
However, in a report to the council, deputy county manager Tom Doherty says, if approved,some 5,000 new houses would be built, contributing to a twentyfold increase in the village's population when compared to 2002.
The report says there is already more than sufficient rezoned land in the Newcastle area to meet forthcoming demand.
It says the development would put a strain on local water supply, surface water and waste disposal.
Elsewhere, it notes the "entirely-inadequate" road infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of the lands, and the lack of public transportation to service the development.
It says the "footprint" of the proposed rezoning would "radically alter the whole character of Newcastle village and the area in general". Experience shows that the scale of development would result in traffic congestion, with car-borne residents having "great difficulty in exiting their estates at peak times".
"The scale and location of the proposal are excessive and entirely inappropriate" with regard to planning guidelines, current plans for the area, and "the principles of sustainable development".
It is understood that, if the final variation is passed by the council, it is possible Minister for Environment John Gormley might overturn the decision.
Mr Cullen told The Irish Times he supported the plans as he believed they would "future proof" the village of Newcastle for the next 15 years.
"I'm voting for a 15-year plan. This is the first time I know of where local people are backing a plan to develop an area."
However, local Labour Party TD Joanna Tuffy said it risked repeating the "urban sprawl" mistakes of the past.
She added that the proposed rezoning of 425 acres on one side of Newcastle was more than the entire 356 acres already rezoned for residential use in the entire south Dublin area under the current development plan.