Mayo councillors want more homes built in rural outskirts of towns

Mayo councillors want the removal of imaginary lines that create boundaries between urban and rural areas.

Welcoming the extra 488 acres for new housing in Mayo, Cllr Michael Kilcoyne told the recent meeting of Mayo Co Council that the next aim must be to "get rid of the imaginary lines between urban and rural areas".

Westport-based Cllr Brendan Mulroy said the imaginary line still exists but only when it comes to planning, saying: “So people in Westport, Castlebar or Ballina, they are being penalised because they cannot build a certain distance outside their hometown. Schools are in bother across the country because of this. Whole villages and communities will prosper once that line is removed. People cannot afford to pay half a million for a house in town. It’s a win-win if they can build out the country for far less.” 

Claremorris councillor Richard Finn said: “There are so many imaginary lines in some of the towns in Claremorris Municipal District I don’t know how I’d find my way around if I had to follow them. It’s important we exercise flexibility and discretion. What suits one town might not suit another.” 

Cllr Gerry Coyle said another view was needed of rural planning. 

“Nobody here ever believed when we adopted our county development plan that we voted on a plan that goes against our own people, that if you lived in one part of Erris you can’t live in another part. It is all the same. People can build houses cheaper on their own land instead of having to buy houses elsewhere.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.