‘Corcreechy Road residents await meeting response’ – McGinn

Fews area Sinn Féin Councillor Pat McGinn has stated that the residents of Corcreechey Road are awaiting a response from DOE minister Alex Atwood to their request for a meeting with them, roads minister Danny Kennedy and the local council to discuss the controversial site formerly used by Lagan Ferrovial as a compound for the work they were doing on the new bypass development.

The councillor, who has been vociferous in his criticism of the handling of the affair by planners explained,

“The landowner submitted a streamlined application last August to use the site for a garden centre and other uses, despite an enforcement notice being in place to restore the area to its original state, as agreed when temporary permission was granted during the construction of the A1 dual carriageway.

“The controversial planning application was up for refusal at a recent council planning committee, but a deferment was requested on the refusal, this despite months of dispute by residents and the council, who view it as an attempt to achieve planning by stealth.”

Councillor McGinn continued, “At the most recent meeting with local councillors, residents and planning officials, which once again was extremely frustrating especially for residents, it was agreed to write to both the DRD roads minister and DOE planning minister to request a joint meeting so that this entire fiasco could be investigated.

He added, “Minister Danny Kennedy has agreed to meet with us and we await the reply from minister Atwood. It is unfortunate that we have to take the issue to this level but it is the only option now available. Hopefully the DOE minister will agree to a joint meeting as quickly as possible.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Nov 9 2012. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry