KILDARE Co Council is to write to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to seek powers to bring lands, zoned for community and amenity use, into public ownership.

The issue was raised at the monthly meeting of the council by Cllr Seamie Moore who said that the zoning by councillors was a pointless exercise because farmers or land developers could sit on the land and retain ownership of it, meaning that the amenity use would never be realised.

Cllr Moore said land has been zoned for community and amenity use in Naas over the past 20 years but there wasn’t a hope in hell that any of the local community groups would get it. He said future zonings of land for community and amenity use should be accompanied by an intention as to how the lands could be accessed for that use.

Cllr Sorcha O’Neill agreed and said that the system as it currently stands isn’t working. She said that the zoning misleads the public.

Cllr James Lawless cited plans for the Linear Park in Sallins as a wonderful initiative. However he added: “It’s in commercial ownership and we are still waiting.”

Some councillors said that they were wary of Cllr Moore’s suggestion that without these powers councillors shouldn’t bother to zone lands for community and amenity use. Cllr Brendan Young said that if they did that they would be left with lands on the periphery of urban spaces for use by the community. He went on to speak about cities like London and Paris which have big parks and community spaces in the city centre.

Cllr. Seamie Moore

Cllr Fiona O’Loughlin said the issue raised by Cllr Moore was also a big problem for Newbridge.

“I understand completely where Cllr Moore is coming from, we need to look at having balanced development and we do zone in the best possible places. It’s a huge dilemma facing the county town. However I don’t think it would be wise to not put that zoning in, because if we did we would be only zoning industrial and residential.”

Director of Services for Community, Culture and Planning Peter Minnock told the councillors that in the past land came into the ownership of the council by default as a consequence of development. He said this happened because the council didn’t have the resources to buy land. Noting that times have changed and that there is no longer the development that there was in the past he said the council doesn’t have the where with all to compulsorily purchase land and therefore he said it is difficult to meet the need for community and amenity land.

It was agreed that the council would write to the minister to see what if anything can be done.