Council won’t change amenity zoning on land

County councillors are adamant they will not change amenity zoning on a former GAA club in Cork after talks to purchase it broke down with the receiver.

Fears have been raised that the land, acquired by a construction company that has since gone into liquidation, could be sold off to another developer who might seek to have the land rezoned for housing.

The land was acquired some years ago by Castlelands Construction in a deal with the local GAA club which saw it moving to modern facilities on the eastern side of the town.

It had been the company’s intention to build on it, but it ceased trading.

At one time Castlelands Construction was building up to 700 houses a year and employed up to 500.

Council officials said that for some time, they had been in talks with the receiver to try and acquire the site, which they want to develop as a recreation and amenity area for the people of the town.

In a statement, the council said the negotiations have “recently fallen through”.

No further explanation was given by officials at a meeting of the Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District Council, but the talks were described as “commercially sensitive”.

Sinn Féin councillor Melissa Mullane, who had raised the issue, said she was “very disappointed” to hear that had happened.

“It’s a massive site which has lain unused for years. It’s shameful,” she said, adding that sporting clubs in Mallow are crying out for such amenities.

Fine Gael councillor John Paul O’Shea said he hoped talks could be restarted with the receiver and that the council should consider the option of issuing a compulsory purchase order for the land.

Fine Gael councillor Gerard Murphy said it wasn’t zoned for housing and urged council officials to make it clear to the receiver that they would not rezone it from its current recreational/amenity status.

However, under new legislation some Strategic Housing projects, which have to be in excess of 100 homes, can bypass local authority planners and go straight to An Bord Pleanála for a final decision.

Technically, An Bord Pleanála can overrule zonings created by councillors in their local area plans, if its officials believe there is a specific need for additional housing in certain places.

Liz Donovan, an officer with the municipal district council, said she would write on its behalf to the property section in County Hall asking officials that they formally inform the receiver that councillors are refusing to rezone the land.

She said she would also ask the same council officials to investigate the possibility of using a compulsory purchase order on the land.