CAR-PARK PROPOSAL BETRAYAL OF LOCAL COMMUNITY

The decision by councillors to renege on earlier commitments and to now support a proposal to develop a car-park in Sligo’s Fairgreen has been described as a “betrayal of the local community” by Independent Socialist Councillor Declan Bree.

“It’s clear that certain councillors have caved in following lobbying and pressure from commercial interests and senior bureaucrats.” said Cllr Bree.

“The local people who were present in the public gallery at this weeks meeting of the Borough Council were upset and angry when they discovered that a number of councillors were prepared to perform U-turns and vote for a car park for the Fairgreen rather than an amenity area and children’s playground

“One resident made the point to me that the political parties could not be trusted because Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour and even a Sinn Fein councillor who had previously supported the initiative for an amenity area in the Fairgreen had now thrown their weight behind the commercial interests who were lobbying for a car-park.

“As a former member of the Labour Party I can say that it was always Labour policy that the Fairgreen be developed as a green area, an amenity area, with a children’s playground. I think it’s sad that the party is now reneging on its policies and selling out the local community.

“In 1999 councillors first voted to develop a recreation area and children’s playground in the Fairgreen.

“In 2000 the Council went through the legal Part VIII consultative process and there was widespread support for the proposal to develop the Fairgreen as an area of recreation and children’s playground. In fact the record will show that there was not one objection to the proposal.

“However despite the councillors decision, no action was taken by Council officials to progress the matter.

“In December 2001 when the matter was next considered, councillors voted in favour of a motion directing officials to proceed with the development. Again no action was taken by the officials.

“To add insult to injury in 2003, despite the earlier decisions taken by the elected councillors, the County Manger and his officials proposed in the new draft Sligo and Environs Development Plan that the Fairgreen be re-zoned for commercial activities

“When local residents heard of the Managers proposal they organised a public meeting in the MCR Centre and appealed to councillors to ensure that the area was zoned as “Open Space/Green Links” so as to allow for the development of the amenity area and playground.

“The councillors responded positively and rejected the County Managers proposal and when I proposed that the Fairgreen be zoned as “Open Space/Green Links” my motion received the unanimous support of the Council.

“However, despite the decision of the Council, officials did nothing to progress the development.

“In April 2006 the Council sought a report regarding progress on the matter. Following consideration of the report in June 2006, the elected members of the Council unanimously agreed that staff should commence the process of preparing plans and seeking funds for the development of the recreation area and playground and it was agreed that any shortfall in funding should come from development levies.

“Despite the decision of June 06 and all the earlier decisions of the Council, it is clear that the County Manger and his officials did absolutely nothing to progress the development of the Faireen.

“Not only did they fail or refuse to implement the decision of the elected councillors they now have the audacity to propose that the Fairgreen be turned into a Car park.

“This in my opinion is not only treating the decision of the elected councillors with contempt it is treating the local community with contempt.

“The development of the playground has been on the agenda for 8 years and to date, with the exception of the Part VIII consultative process which took place in 2000, the County Manger has failed to act on the decision of the elected councillors.

“Members of the public often ask me why it is so difficult to get things done at local authority level. I think this case clearly illustrates the difficulties and obstacles that principled elected councillors have to face.

“Councillors initially agreed to develop a playground because they recognised that children living in the city centre and in the areas adjacent to the Fairgreen have no play facilities.

“As I have already pointed out, in a country that claims to be so interested in the family and children, the lack of playgrounds is remarkable and I am more than concerned that the development of the Fairgreen project has been thwarted for so long.

“I would also point out that over the past number of years there has been increased funding from the exchequer for the development of children’s playgrounds. The Local Authority Playground Grants Scheme, administered by the National Children’s Office and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has already allocated millions of euro for playgrounds, yet the county manager and the Council executive have never bothered applying for grant aid for the development of the Fairgreen play area.

“It is abundantly clear that people in the local community are not prepared to allow commercial interests to take away their only green area and they intend to fight and campaign to protect what is theirs by right.

“Local young people from the MCR area have already organised a petition and collected hundreds of signatures from local residents. They presented the petition to the Mayor in advance of this week’s Borough Council meeting and many of the young people observed the Council debate from the public gallery in City Hall.

“Now a Save the Fairgeen Campaign is being organised which I know will attract support from all over Sligo.

“People from the local community are leading the campaign. They will not be hoodwinked. They intend to assert themselves and they will have the support of everyone who is genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of local communities and concerned about the sustainable development of Sligo.” Cllr Bree said.