Positive update on key industrial site in Ballina
The matter was raised at a meeting of Ballina Municipal District.
“Half the battle” has been won for the proposed industrial estate on the Sligo Road in Ballina following a revision of the area's zoning, according to a senior official with Mayo County Council.
Head of the Ballina Municipal District Declan Turnbull told last week’s area meeting that the area around the site has now been re-zoned as industrial.
“The area was zoned agricultural for some time but has now been re-zoned as industrial,” he said. “That is half the battle in this.”
Mr Turnbull said the IDA has previously proposed developing an advanced factory at this location but the planning permission ran into difficulty because of the proposed location on a busy road.
Mr Turnbull's comments came on foot of a notice of motion from Cllr John O’Hara who called for an update on the Sligo Road site.
“There are shovel-ready sites in Castlebar and Westport and we’re losing business in Ballina. We are neglected,” Cllr O'Hara said. “We will have to ask our local Minister [Dara Calleary] to look for this as a priority because it will help to stop emigration. A lot of local people are going to Australia and not coming back.”
