Europe to probe controversial development

THE European Commission is investigating a controversial Trim hotel development which was given the go-ahead after then Environment Minister Martin Cullen personally overruled objections from heritage officials.

News of the investigation into possible breaches of EU directives by Trim Town Council comes as the Centre for Public Inquiry (CPI) publishes a report into the affair today. The report is the CPI’s first since it was established nine months ago.

The CPI investigation details how a number of current and former councillors claim they were advised “against their better judgement” to sell council land to D O’Brien Developments Ltd.

The land had been originally purchased by the council with Government funds for a public car park.

However, it was then sold on to D O’Brien Developments which subsequently received planning permission for the controversial hotel.

The report also questions the role of Mr Cullen who, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) documents, consistently refused to heed the advice of his heritage officials who were opposed to the development of the four-storey hotel.

In 2003, Duchas told Mr Cullen that planning permission should be refused and argued that the development was “inappropriate in this highly sensitive historical location adjacent to Trim Castle, a national monument in State care.”

Instead of heeding the advice, Mr Cullen asked for the development to be scaled down and subsequently moved to block an objection to An Bord Pleanála.

However, in the end the developer proceeded with a successful planning application for a larger project despite concerns about the impact of the building on Trim Castle.

CPI executive director Frank Connolly said the end result “effectively rubbished the efforts by the minister and his officials to scale back rather than prevent the development as recommended by the senior heritage officials in the Department.”

According to today’s CPI report, senior EU Commission officials have confirmed that they are centring their investigation on the possible failure of Trim Town Council to screen the hotel proposal to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment was required.

The EU provided €3.8 million for the restoration of Trim Castle and is to now send officials to meet with Government representatives next month.

Mr Connolly said current and former councillors were advised the council could be sued if they did not agree to sell the land in question.

“Specifically, these people have claimed that they were advised of possible litigation against the council if they ignored the recommendation of an advisory panel,” he said.

Today’s report also shows that the developer of the hotel was informed by letter that his proposal had won the tender weeks before the elected councillors were told.