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by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
BUNCRANA Town Council is to seek a compulsory
purchase order (CPO) on ground adjacent to Upper
Main Street to construct a new car park.
Negotiations between the council and landowner Colm
O’Donnell on the sale of the land have continued for
a number of years but the parties failed to reach
agreement. Following meetings with Town Council
officials last Thursday, assistant county manager
Liam Kelly said that the (CPO) will be made by the
end of May.
The ground, known as the Backlands, lies behinds
Hegarty’s department store.
“We are urgently in need of car-parking space,” said
Fianna Fáil councillor Dermot McLaughlin.
“Naturally, we would like to avoid resorting to a
CPO, but if there’s no other option then it will be
taken.”
“The lack of car parking has devastated Upper Main
Street,” said Sinn Féin councillor Pádraig Mac
Lochlainn. “Exhaustive negotiations have dragged on
for three or four years and we need a resolution.”
“The public interest has been torn asunder in terms
of the regeneration of Buncrana town centre,” Cllr
Mac Lochlainn continued. “The land is zoned for
parking in the town plan and while nobody likes a
CPO, it will ensure the landowner gets a fair market
price. I am sure the public will understand why we
need to follow this course.”
At last week’s Town Council meeting Cllr Mac
Lochlainn implored council officials to adopt a
sterner line in negotiations. “We have been too
lenient in negotiations with landowners and the
public should know that it’s landowners that are
delaying projects.”
Cllr Mac Lochlainn said that a period of just six
months should be allowed for negotiations to take
place after the completion of a section 8 planning
motion. After that, councils should move directly to
compulsory purchase orders, he said. |
