Crossmolina plans must be 'favourable' to community

Crossmolina Community Council has said the local community’s views will be heard and articulated if a contentious planning application for the area is approved.

A planning application has been submitted to Mayo County Council seeking permission for temporary and permanent works to facilitate the delivery of turbine components. Bord na Móna Powergen Ltd has applied for permission for works to allow the delivery of components for the third phase of the Oweninny windfarm.

Crossmolina Community Council has said only works which are “favourable’ to the community will be permitted to proceed.

Part of the proposed works would see the construction of a six-metre wide roadway through the Community Council-owned Community Field in Crossmolina. The diversion will continue through the field, over the river, up through Abbeytown and down Church Road through existing public roadways. Cycle lanes and resurfacing are planned at these locations. It will then turn left into private lands and return to the N59 at the graveyard in Crossmolina.

The Community Council has a development plan for the 26-acre field. It includes a public park, community centre, independent living accommodation, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a camping area. They believe some of the proposed works will help deliver this project.

“Crossmolina Community Council has been in existence for the last 30 years or more and we have the interest of the community at the top of our agenda,” said chairperson Kieran Mulhern. "As Crossmolina Community Council own the area on the Ballina Road, Bord na Móna came to us and requested permission to go for planning though the property as well as seven other landowners on the diverted route. We agreed to give permission to go for planning and if they are successful we can then enter negotiations on terms and conditions for the community. If those terms and conditions are favourable to our community then we allow the works to proceed,” he added.

Mr Mulhern urged the community to make themselves familiar with the planning application. 

“The community of Crossmolina need to make themselves aware of the positives and negatives of the proposal for themselves. From my point of view, as chairman of Crossmolina Community Council, I believe that the positives outweigh the negatives."

However, he reiterated that the views of the community will be fully canvassed. 

“If we are not happy we don’t have to allow them to go in there. And we will be going to the community on that.”