Councillors slam ‘shady deal' claims and ‘libellous' posts as Westport land sale is approved

Irish Independent

4 days ago

The sale of the green area had become a controversial topic, and a social media campaign was launched by the Westport Family and Community Resource Centre to oppose the sale, the meeting was told..
The controversies continued when, in the meeting, local councillors claimed that some of the campaigners were spreading misinformation about the sale and making libellous statements online.
The land, located off Church Lane in Westport, was agreed for sale in June by the Westport and Belmullet Municipal District. The sale will allow the Wyatt Hotel to add 50 rooms and an underground carpark with 106 spaces. An additional €280,000 will be allocated to Mayo County Council, with this contribution specifically ring-fenced for the development and improvement of a playground in the area.
Cllr Peter Flynn proposed the sale in the meeting. He addressed the online scrutiny and insisted that there was nothing suspicious about the sale.
'We've heard comments about corruption, about shady deals with business people, and undercover deals. I want to address this here and now because it's really way off the mark. Everything that has been done to date in relation to this particular sale has gone through the exact same process as any other section 183.
The Kavanagh family owns the Wyatt Hotel and other businesses in the Westport area. Cllr Flynn stated that there had been a two-year period of negotiation between the family and the council.
'They have developed an absolutely brilliant supermarket in our town centre. Similarly with the Wyatt Hotel, they have expanded it into one of the finest hotels in the region. They are bringing people back into the town centre, encouraging the whole vibrancy in the town centre, and ensuring that other businesses are benefiting from people coming into the town year round,'
Cllr Brendan Mulroy seconded the proposal for the sale of the land. He claimed that a lot of the content that had been put on social media was 'libellous' and said 'a lot of people need to reflect on what they're putting out there.'
'Through this campaign and particularly over the last couple of days, I have been accused of having no interest in the youth of Westport and not representing them. I take offense to that, I was a child of Westport, and I grew up in Westport town. Some of the commentary on the Facebook pages has been nothing short of shocking, there's doubt being cast on this deal, there's doubt being cast on the elected representatives.'
He continued: 'If we can get a hotel with 50 bedrooms and 100+ parking spaces and €280,0000 to go back into the community, that's what you call looking after your community. We will sit down and we will talk to any group, but what we will not do is be intimidated, shouted at, roared at, or have assertions cast upon people.'
In the meeting, a counter proposal was made by Cllr John O'Malley. While he didn't disapprove of the sale, he proposed a delay in the decision on the grounds that there was not enough information given to the public. He said: 'I propose that we have to meet with the people and have a consultation with them, as far as I'm concerned, they're not happy. We need to sit down and have a consultation with them so they know exactly what's happening.'
The counter proposal was supported by Cllr Michael Kilcoyne, who said: 'Defer this today, let the local community hold these people elected, sit down and discuss it. At the next council meeting, put it back on the agenda.'
Cllr Mulroy and Cllr Flynn both disputed the argument to defer the vote by eight weeks, arguing that it would only give more time to damage the reputation of the sale, the families involved, and the council as well. Cllr Flynn pointed out that the sale will still require planning permission and urged anyone with objections to make them known during this stage.
Before the council chamber voted on the proposal, the Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, Kevin Kelly, assured the people that the proper statutory process for a section 183 had been followed and that the information would not usually be made public until a statutory notice is issued.
He continued: 'I think it's very important that it's stated that there is nothing untoward in respect of this proposal or this transaction. In a scenario where you are getting full market value, a significant community gain in terms of additional financial resources, parking, and hotel bedroom spaces. To me, it's an absolute no-brainer in terms of a proposal,
'If we could make every proposal going before you as attractive as that, we would have a very easy life,' he joked.
The counter proposal to defer the sale of the land until September with the promise of giving more information to the local community during this time, was defeated 18 votes to seven with one. The vote to allow the proposal and dispose of the land was accepted 22 votes to two with three abstentions.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme