Take power to rezone land from councillors

THE urban sprawl situation in Kenmare described by John Joe O’Brien (Irish Examiner letters, December 16) is being replicated throughout the country.

Is it any wonder the European Environmental Agency made this comment recently on development in Ireland: “We couldn’t believe what we saw on the maps because they showed that sprawl was so extensive in a country where the geography is not designed for such a thing”.

This is nowhere more apparent than in Dingle where the local development plan sets out (or so it says) to “create a compact and accessible town in accordance with the principles of sustainable development”.