Accusations of deals ‘made behind closed doors' as youth group and councillors clash over Westport land sale to hotel group

Irish Independent

3 days ago

Formed in October 2024, WAY began campaigning following years of neglect of a local playground and surrounding green space. The group engaged with councillors to push for safety repairs and investment in youth facilities. Councillors cited a lack of funding and ongoing vandalism as barriers to upgrading the park, which they say has long been a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.
It was revealed in July 2025 that the council had sold 0.67 acres of land on the site of the playground to the Wyatt Hotel Ltd. It will be used to expand the hotel and develop a 106-space underground car park. The sale price was €670,000, with an additional ring-fenced amount of €280,000 added to the sale to go towards improving the playground.
The deal got the unanimous approval of councillors at municipal district level and there was a full debate at county council level on the issue. Ultimately, councillors approved the sale 22–2, with three abstentions, after rejecting a motion to delay the decision. WAY members were present during the vote.
WAY defended their stance in opposing the sale, saying they should have been informed of the sale and claimed it had 'made behind closed doors'. In a statement WAY said: 'The fact that a decision of this magnitude was made behind closed doors while community members were encouraged to propose alternative uses for the space is both misleading and disrespectful.'
However, local councillors defended the move. Peter Flynn, the Cathaoirleach of the Westport and Belmullet municipal district, said the sale of the land can be nothing but good as it helps bring life into the middle of Westport.
He also denied hearing of WAY until the weekend of the sale, telling the Irish Independent, 'Now maybe I'll be proven wrong, but the first time I heard of the name was the weekend before the sale. Yes, I had individual parents contacting me, and I've met with individual parents, but I've never heard of that particular group until this controversy blew up.'
The land is zoned for development, and Cllr Flynn says it is a well-known fact in the area that the park is a site for anti-social behaviour, stating that the council has spent tens of thousands over the years on repairs, claiming it was pointless to continue as ultimately it would be vandalised again.
The WAY group rejects that anti-social behaviour was the reason for the park becoming unsafe, stating that it was down to a lack of maintenance from the council. 'The constant issue was that the local playground was not safe and a lot of us chose not to bring our small children there,' said WAY member Niamh Lally, 'It just wasn't safe and the general area was very unkept. We kept letting councillors know that there were issues.'
In March 2023 €40,000 was allocated to Westport under the Community Recognition Fund to put back into the park. In August 2024, the park closed. A month later, a 6ft fence was erected around the playground, and gates were installed to shut it at night due to anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Flynn defended the decision to put a fence around the park, 'the fence and the gate have worked well,' he said, 'people are not accessing it after dark, and once you eliminate that, it seems to have eliminated the vandalism that was associated with the area.'
He continued: 'This was described as Mountjoy fencing, people can make their own mind up there, but if you look at any other facility, school facility or other recreational areas, this fencing is standard. The reason they use it is that it is vandal-proof, it ensures kids can remain in the area, and parents don't have to worry about them disappearing.'
However, parents were shocked that funding went solely to fencing while broken swings, rotting benches, exposed nails, and graffiti remained. They raised concerns better youth facilities would reduce teens congregating in parks.
This frustration led to the formation of the WAY group. 'The reason we said WAY is because we were shocked that our teenagers were being accused of being thugs and vagrants. The Westport children are lovely,' said Niamh, adding that the fenced park was still unsafe after the funding had been spent.
They launched a petition that amassed over 1,300 signatures and held a 'Playful Protest' where over 150 people attended, including politicians Michael Ring and Keira Keogh. The group met with engineers from Mayo County Council and warned them that the playground was too dangerous to use. They were told again that it was vandalism, not neglect, that was the problem.
The group commissioned an FOI request. The document contained 1,649 pages of risk assessments, many from 2023-2024, rating the park a 16 out of a possible 25, deeming it high risk. There was also documentation showing the €40,000 fence went to tender with a matching invoice.
WAY again demanded improvements. 'We wanted a better playground and the park turned into a community space,' Niamh said. 'We need a town park, a space for teenagers to play football, toddlers to play, and older groups to gather.'
The group created vision boards and engaged with councillors as well as the local community. 'It was a very positive thing, the councillors were behind this,' explained Niamh.
By March 2025, Niamh met with Cllr Flynn, who confirmed plans to sell part of the land to the Wyatt Hotel, insisting it was a small section. Initially, WAY welcomed this: '[It was] all very positive and communicative,' Niamh said, 'There wasn't a moment where I thought anyone was lying to me. Then we got word on Wednesday that the whole plot, bar the fenced playground, was sold. We were shocked.'
Cllr Peter Flynn confirmed to the Irish Independent that it is not the whole plot of land bar the fenced off playground that has been sold, 'Without a shadow of a doubt it's the piece to the right-hand side of the footpath as you come down from Church Lane. I have never suggested any other piece of land was for sale or not for sale. It has always been this 0.67 of an acre as you come down.' He said the developer had been in talks with the council for two years.
He continued, 'It's been frustrating for all of us as councillors, this has never been a secret. We've always been open in terms of what we are trying to do here. We are trying to improve the overall playground area and facilitate business in our town centre,
'It has been anything but a secret deal. I told the parents here about 12 or 18 months ago that this piece of land would be for sale. This is not new news. I spoke to people in 2024 about this for certain.'
He defended the land sale and made the point that it would bring people into the centre of Westport.
'One of the major problems we had with this playground was that we never had funding to upgrade it properly. This was a perfect scenario for us, it allowed an existing employer to expand the family premises here, creating parking spaces, and there is an opportunity to do something significant with this area now with the €280,000,' he said.
Cllr Flynn argued that a false picture of the sale had been painted, which opened a space for negative commentary.
Planning permission for the sale is due to come through towards the end of the year, objections towards the planning can be submitted then.
Following this, if the decision made by the county council isn't favoured, appeals can be made to An Bord Pleanála.
Niamh stated that the WAY group had nothing but the 'greatest respect' for councillors and they are not against development in Westport. "For over a year, our group, made up of local parents, youth advocates, and concerned residents, has poured time, energy, and personal resources into developing a community-led proposal for the space, all while being encouraged by councillors to move forward with our vision for a vibrant, inclusive, and safe green space,
'What we were not told was that discussions to sell the majority of this land had been in progress for over two years. This lack of transparency has eroded trust and demonstrates a serious disregard for the community's voice and effort.'
Cllr Flynn pointed out that the sale had been unanimously agreed at the public municipal district meeting the previous month and none of the councillors were contacted at the time and no submissions were received. He urged members of WAY and other parents and community members to engage positively with the council on the future development of the playground, actively encouraging people to sit down with councillors and officials to see if they can work together in the future.