Paul Healy The developers behind a mooted multi-million euro project earmarked for the Lough area of Roscommon town made a last-gasp offer to include a €1.5m youth centre and the handover of about ten acres to the Council in return for support for their plans. The Galway-based developers whose bid to have a 52-acre site at The Lough rezoned failed on Monday were in communication with county councillors up to the ‘eleventh hour’ – and as community groups in Roscommon town were preparing to protest against the plan on the Council steps. The Roscommon People can exclusively reveal that the developers met with Fine Gael Councillor Domnick Connolly on Sunday night and confirmed to him that they would provide a €1.5m youth centre as part of their commercial/residential/recreational project. Furthermore they were prepared to hand over about 10 acres to the Council, with a view to 40 acres being rezoned. Cllr. Connolly said: ‘A compromise was mooted that they would give 20 acres to the town or the council and develop 32 acres, but that was rejected. ‘Then at the 11th hour they came with a proposal to give 10 acres to the council to use plus a €1.5 million state-of-the-art youth centre and rezone 40 acres. They were giving a 1.5 million state-of-the-art youth centre with all sorts of facilities for youth.’ The latter offer was communicated in writing to Cllr. Connolly on Sunday night. Cllr. Martin Connaughton also met the developers on Sunday night. On Monday morning separate private meetings were held between councillors from the various electoral areas, the County Manager and members of the executive. These meetings were held to discuss the County Development Plan, including the Lough issue. At these meetings the plans for the Lough, including the eleventh-hour offer, were discussed. Cllr. Connolly said that the five councillors for Mid-Roscommon subsequently turned down the proposals. At this point in a day of some drama the saga even impacted on the Fianna Fail group in the Council with one Fianna Fail councillor objecting to the presence of a colleague at a meeting with the County Manager. Cllr. Tony Waldron (Castlerea electoral area) attended the meeting between councillors from Mid-Roscommon and County Manager Mr. John Tiernan. Cllr. Waldron’s colleague, Cllr. Orla Leyden, objected to his presence. Cllr. Waldron indicated that he felt he was entitled to be present (and he subsequently remained on). Asked by the Roscommon People about the exchanges, Cllr. Leyden was reluctant to comment, but did say that she felt councillors should have been ‘equally encouraged’ to attend all meetings (i.e. councillors from a given electoral area should have been ‘encouraged’ to attend the meetings involving other areas, etc.). Meanwhile there had been much speculation that Cllr. Martin Connaughton was supportive of the project. This week he moved to clarify his position. Cllr. Connaughton said that that last week he travelled to America and that while he was in America, ‘it looked like I was fully supporting a development that definitely would not meet the approval of the people of Roscommon.’ This week, he outlined his involvement in the matter. ‘I did make, two or three weeks back, a compromise proposal that the developer would give 20 acres of the 52 alongside the old St. Coman’s pitch and Loughnaneane Park. My proposal might have been misleading,’ said Cllr. Connaughton, who said that it might have led people to believe that he was fully supportive of the rezoning. He pointed out that on Monday he seconded the proposal of Cllr. Domnick Connolly not to rezone the lands. ‘I met the people (behind the project) the night before and told them that I was withdrawing that proposal and that there was serious negativity to it and I went along with the people one hundred percent.’ At this point in a day of some drama the saga even impacted on the Fianna Fail group in the Council with one Fianna Fail councillor objecting to the presence of a colleague at a meeting with the County Manager. Cllr. Tony Waldron (Castlerea electoral area) attended the meeting between councillors from Mid-Roscommon and County Manager Mr. John Tiernan. Cllr. Waldron’s colleague, Cllr. Orla Leyden, objected to his presence. Cllr. Waldron indicated that he felt he was entitled to be present (and he subsequently remained on). Asked by the Roscommon People about the exchanges, Cllr. Leyden was reluctant to comment, but did say that she felt councillors should have been ‘equally encouraged’ to attend all meetings (i.e. councillors from a given electoral area should have been ‘encouraged’ to attend the meetings involving other areas, etc.). Meanwhile there had been much speculation that Cllr. Martin Connaughton was supportive of the project. This week he moved to clarify his position. Cllr. Connaughton said that last week he travelled to America and that while he was in America, ‘it looked like I was fully supporting a development that definitely would not meet the approval of the people of Roscommon.’ This week, he outlined his involvement in the matter. ‘I did make, two or three weeks back, a compromise proposal that the developer would give 20 acres of the 52 alongside the old St. Coman’s pitch and Loughnaneane Park. My proposal might have been misleading,’ said Cllr. Connaughton, who said that it might have led people to believe that he was fully supportive of the rezoning. He pointed out that on Monday he seconded the proposal of Cllr. Domnick Connolly not to rezone the lands. ‘I met the people (behind the project) the night before and told them that I was withdrawing that proposal and that there was serious negativity to it and I went along with the people one hundred percent.’
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