Galway County Council is to draw up a "Master Plan" for North Connemara. However, it might be a long time before it sees the light of day - and it was not intended to be a "Master Plan" originally.

The matter came up at last Friday's meeting of Galway County Council when the new Galway County Development Plan was being discussed.

A document produced by the Council management said that a "Local Area Plan" would be drawn up for North Connemara, which is taken to be the area of Cormemara that is not inthe Gaeltacht.

Alongside the promise of the "Local Area Plan" for Connemara another policy appeared which stated that a "Master Plan" would be drawn up for the Ardaun area. The Ardaun area is a new town planned on the eastem outskirts of Galway city.

Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig intervened and asked why it was a "Master Plan" for Ardaun and a "Local Area Plan" for North Connemara. County Council planning executive, Catherine McConnell said that there was many issues to be addressed in connection with Ardaun.

Councillor Ó Cuaig replied: "There are many issues to be addressed in North Connemara too." He then proposed that the North Connemara plan should also be known as a "Master Plan"

This was accepted by the Council.

Councillor Thomas Welby said he wanted to be sure that areas such as Roundstone were included.

Planning manager, Paul Ridge said that the details about such plans would be worked out later but that the area outside the Gaeltacht was the area concerned.

He then said that the Council would be lucky if such plans were drawn up in the next five years because of the shortage of money and the costs involved.

It was not stated whether the North Connemara "Master Plan" or the Ardaun "Master Plan" would get priority when the money would be available.

Commenting on the plan, Councillor Josie Conneely saici that this type of plans seem good on paper. However, in his experience, these plans could sometimes lead to more restrictions on people than anything else.

Mairtín Ó Cathain Cúradh Chonnachtach 23/1/2009