Wednesday 19 September 2007

1.5bn plan to develop technology park rejected

COUNTY councillors in South Tipperary yesterday voted to reject plans for a 3,500-home and technology park development on land partially-owned by the family of former FF TD and minister Noel Davern, outside Clonmel.

New Vision Developments Ltd submitted a proposal to the council for a €1.5 billion technology and residential campus, to be called the Powerstown Quarter, on 400 acres of agricultural land which would, according to the company, have created 3,500 jobs and led to the construction of 3,500 houses over a 20-year period.

COUNTY councillors in South Tipperary yesterday voted to reject plans for a 3,500-home and technology park development on land partially-owned by the family of former FF TD and minister Noel Davern, outside Clonmel.

New Vision Developments Ltd submitted a proposal to the council for a €1.5 billion technology and residential campus, to be called the Powerstown Quarter, on 400 acres of agricultural land which would, according to the company, have created 3,500 jobs and led to the construction of 3,500 houses over a 20-year period.

An 80-acre portion of the land on the northern side of Clonmel is owned by the wife of Noel Davern, while 30 acres of it is owned by sitting Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Norris. The remainder is owned by private businessmen in the area.

County manager Ned O'Connor urged councillors not to back the proposal to rezone the land.

The vote was 13 against and nine for, with the votes in favour coming from the eight FF councillors and independent Cllr Eddie O'Meara. Cllr Norris abstained.

Fine Gael, Labour and the independent Workers and Unemployed Action Group voted against the scheme.

Urban planning consultant Nicholas De Jong, engaged by the county council to examine the plan, criticised the project for several reasons, including a claim that the "new town" of an estimated 9,000 people would not integrate with the existing town of Clonmel; that 15 houses per acre was "inappropriate"; and just 10% of the 400 acres was earmarked for employment.

The county council itself is already developing a business, education and technology park at a site it acquired five years ago at Ballingarrane, adjacent to the main Cahir road.

New Vision Developments expressed disappointment at the vote. Chief executive Don Davern - son of Noel Davern - said the company was "deeply concerned" that the council's consultants failed to find any merit in the proposal. He also questioned if "the same rigour and consideration" have been applied to the council's own development site at Ballingarrane.

"Such questions are all the more pertinent given the €13 million invested in this site over the past eight years and the distinct lack of detail regarding the companies that the council envisages locating there and the number of jobs to be created."

Conor Kane

© Irish Independent

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