Ballina anger over rejection of zoning plans for housing

A councillor has criticised the rejection of zoning proposals in the Ballina area amid a review of local and national planning and development strategies.

Cllr Michael Loftus said a proposed review of the National Development Plan is mooted to take place later this year which will see the County Development Plan and Town Development Plans, such as the Ballina Local Area plan, revisited. He said it is clear the Government is looking for more houses to be built but questioned why the Minister for Housing previously rejected all proposed material alterations that local representatives made to the Ballina Local Area Plan last February.

“We worked hard on our proposals and they were turned down and now they will come back to us again. We’re crying out for houses, so why did they reject our plan? I’m starting to question a lot of things the Government is doing.

Cllr Loftus suggested that the councillors resubmit their previous proposals.

Director of Services for the Ballina Municipal District Katherine McConnell said the council is focused on land that is currently appropriately zoned for housing.

“We will be okay with the quantum of land available and our ability to activate it," she said. "We will try to focus new housing developments onto areas that are already zoned."