January 2004

Moville/Greencastle Environmental Group Win Planning Appeal

An Bord Pleanala, the planning appeals body, have turned down a proposed 38 house development which was to be located between Lough Foyle and Carnagarve on the outskirts of Moville. This decision was met with 'relief and vindication' by members of the Moville/Greencastle Environmental Group. The appeal was submitted to An Bord Pleanala last Autumn The MGEG want to see this area of Moville re-designated with a higher level of protection in order to prevent similar developments from locating in the area in future.

Rose Kelly, Secretary of MGEG said "the ruling was priceless form an environmental point of view and a victory for past, present and future generations of Moville people." The people of the area are very happy with this judgment as it was a very unsuitable development. "We are not against the developer or the building of new homes in Moville per se, but its got to be a suitable area. "The main tenets of the argument included:

The fact that the road alongside which the development, the R241, is categorised in the County Development Plan as a Tourist Road and as such it was 'the objective of the council to conserve the overall character of these roads and views to be had from them.'

That running through the site earmarked for development is a broad leafed forest comprising of trees hundreds of years old and that such a seizable and healthy forested area was quite rare so close to the sea.

The site of the development was outside the boundary of the Local Moville Development Plan of 1994.

Don McGinley member of MEEG said the decision had lifted a weight from the campaigners shoulders and that the past few months have been a harrowing time for those opposed to the development. Mr McGinley paid tribute to his fellow members in the environmental group and said the time and expense involved in mounting an effective opposition to the development was such that no one person could possibly have done it on their own.

Reacting to An Bord Pleanala's ruling, Deputy Cecilia Keaveney said it was a major relief for the people of Moville that the Carnagarve development had been stopped. It was assumed that the seaward side of the road was protected. It is a scenic road and it is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Deputy Keaveney added that it was unfortunate that the development had received the backing of Donegal County Council, when the views of the developers, on the one hand, and the local population and their elected representatives on the other hand were so far apart. These comments were agreed upon by Marian McDonald County Councellor who added that she would press the Council for the shore walk to be immediately designated as a area of high special amenity.

Martin Farren, Vice Chairperson of Moville Tidy Town and 2004 local election candidate was delighted at the news, and praised the work of the MGEG who, he said, played a pivotal role in opposing the development.

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