Serial objectors are keeping Bagenalstown in the Stone Age says Kiely

Building development in Bagenalstown is so strangled by serial objectors' that the town should be gated off to the outside world.That was the rather outrageous suggestion made by Cllr. Paddy Kiely at the last meeting of the Local Representatives.

Building development in Bagenalstown is so strangled by serial objectors' that the town should be gated off to the outside world.

That was the rather outrageous suggestion made by Cllr. Paddy Kiely at the last meeting of the Local Representatives.

Let's just put up gates at the entrances to the town so that we can all sleep here,' he said. This is just a dormer town.'

In the week when an Bord Planéala finally made a decision on whether to allow supermarket giants Lidl set up in Bagenalstown, Cllr. Kiely hit out against what the lack of new businesses coming to Bagenalsown.

Comparing his town to Tullow, the Cllr. said that Tullow was light years' ahead of Bagenalstown, which was stuck in the Stone Age because of serial objectors.'
Is it who you are in Bagenalstown that matters?' he asked. Certain people can build what they like. Others put in for planning permission, and lo and behold, others object. Tullow don't have a watchdog breathing over them.' He continued that new businesses won't move into the town because of those who object to planning permission.

Cllr. Liam O'Brien said that he was wary of Cllr. Kiely using the meeting as a forum for talking up Tullow and talking down Bagenalstown.'

This, Cllr. Kiely hotly refuted by saying, I never ran down Bagenalstown. Local people talk about what Tullow has, they make the comparison.'

He said that Bagenalstown has no hotels or no new shops because serial objectors have a strangle-hold on the town.'

Cllr. Margaret Cushen referred to An Bord Planéala by saying that it's an independent body which makes up its own mind about whether planning is suitable for a town or not.

Cllr. Kiely replied to this by stating that Cllr. Cushen is a member of Bagenalstown Improvement Group and that she defended planning objectors on her soapbox.' He referred to the members of Bagenalstown Improvement Group as well- heeled people living in their ivory towers.

Carlow People

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