Councillors approve extension to Mayo industrial estate

A proposal to extend Westport Industrial Estate by twelve new sites has been adopted by councillors.

Elected members from the Westport-Belmullet Municipal District agreed to push forward through the Part VII planning phase.

The proposed extension to Westport Industrial Estate will comprise of the extension to the adjacent to existing industrial estate and would incorporate providing a 250-metre link road from the Carrowholly Road to the Newport Road.

“As soon as the Part VIII planning is adopted, we would probably have the documents going to tender in about two months’ time, with it going to tender some time in May,” head of the district, Padraic Walsh said. “There will be an additional twelve serviced sites adjacent to our current industrial estate where there are almost no spare sites available.”

“The construction of the slip road will be funded by monies that were taken in by the sale of the last few industrial sites. The sale of the first few units will complete the funding of it.”

Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn proposed that they adopt the planning report.

“I want to thank everybody involved to bringing the report to us on relatively short notice. This is a really important step forward for two reasons, one being that we have a serious short of commercial land, not just in Westport, right around the whole West Mayo area, and a lot of businesses were struggling to find a suitable location to base their business in this side of the county,” Cllr Flynn said.

“The second reason is the slip road. We have seen that the plans are being to progress with Westport House, it's going to be a really busy road with their new entrace. Then we have the GAA pitch being close to completion, the expansion to United Park and the council houses that will be developed this year. So there is going to be a significant volume of traffic on that road.”

Cllr Christy Hyland seconded the proposal.