MAYOR SAYS TAXPAYER IS THE VICTIM IN CITY PLAN RE-VOTE

Date Published: 08-Jun-2011

Mayor of Galway, Michael Crowe says it’s disappointing that the taxpayer has to foot the bill for a legal challenge because the council ignored its own rules.

A controversial part of Galway City Development Plan is due to be voted again on next week following a High Court ruling yesterday.

Mr. Justice George Birmingham directed the 15 city councillors to reconsider part of the plan which would designate lands at Westside retail park as a district centre.

Former Mayor of Galway, Micheál O’ hUiginn, who took the legal action, wants the rezoning approved to allow him to build a Tesco foodstore.

A vote was taken at a meeting last January rejecting the designation, with the then Deputy Mayor, Brian Walsh, using his casting vote because it was tied.

This vote included Councillor Catherine Connolly, whose fellow councillors had earlier voted should leave the meeting because of offensive remarks she made.

She did not leave and Micheál Ó hUigínn argued that if she had left the meeting, the vote would have gone in his favour.

The High Court ruled that the matter be reconsidered by councillors and it’s understood a meeting will take place next Monday.