U-turn on Midleton green belt

Councillors have voted to reverse a decision made less than four months ago to retain a ‘green belt status’ on a site in Midleton, in favour of housing development.

A number of councillors outside of the East Cork municipal district, which includes Midleton, changed their position on whether land at Broomfield should be rezoned for housing, despite being urged to have the “courage of their convictions” by East Cork Green Cllr Liam Quaide.

Of the six county councillors representing East Cork, five voted to retain the green belt status, however, an overall vote of 32 to 17 and three abstentions saw the local councillors’ votes overruled. The vote was one of 31 separate votes carried out at Monday’s full meeting of Cork County Council on final amendments to the County Development Plan which is set to come into effect on 6 June. Addressing elected members, Cllr Quaide, who lives in the Broomfield area, asked what had changed in the past four months to influence members to vote differently this time.

Cllr Quaide said: “The facts on the ground have not changed. For those of you voting for residential zoning, how influenced has that been by an intensive lobbying offensive by commercial interests, putting out such messages as, ‘there will be no houses built in Midleton in the next few years if this land isn't zoned residential’, or the slur on Broomfield residents that they are consumed with NIMBY-ism in their opposition to this zoning?”

Cllr Quaide pointed out several planning difficulties associated with the site, including a lack of amenities for what he described as “an already overdeveloped” area. He also highlighted, despite the site’s proximity to a train station, the reality of rezoning would mean even more car dependency as all other needs, aside from accommodation, would have to be met elsewhere.

Sinn Féin Cllr Danielle Twomey also strongly opposed the amendment, saying that development at the site would yield enough houses to double the size of Broomfield village, an area already struggling with a lack of infrastructure.

Cllr Twomey said developing in unsuitable areas just because they are in close proximity to a railway station boils down to bad planning. “Have we learned nothing from the mistakes of the past? The majority of local councillors voted to keep this area within the green belt. This is our town, this is our community, and we are doing our best to represent the best interests of our community,” she said.

The only East Cork councillor to vote in favour of rezoning the land for development was Fine Gael’s Michael Hegarty, who said more housing is needed to tackle the ongoing housing crisis.

He said: “We’re in a serious housing crisis, and to hear the minister considering that vacant social houses should be considered for the Ukraine refugees, I think it’s critical that these lands are retained for development, and the sooner it happens, the better for us all.”