MAYNOOTH, 26 July: by Bill Trapman. Kildare's county engineer has recommended that no further land rezoning should take place in the Meadowbrook area of Maynooth because of flooding problems. His conclusions were discussed at a recent meeting of the Leixlip Area Committee on the Draft Maynooth Development Plan. Under the Draft Plan it is proposed to rezone 50 acres in the Meadowbrook area.
Progressing the plan had been deferred until a hydrological investigation of the Meadowbrook River was available. The need for such a report arose as a result of the flooding in the area last November.
"One of its conclusions was that 'in the interest of the long term urban development a policy of storm water attenuation should be introduced for all new developments'," says Cllr John McGinley. Storm water attenuation normally means ponds or underground culverts."
The county manager also recommended that there be no rezoning in the Newtown/Rathcoffey Road area and that a clause be inserted in the plan stating that rezoning of land in this area be deferred for two years, when the conditions under which rezoning could be considered should be met and/or known.
Cllr McGinley says Labour would oppose any efforts to try and rezone a further 50 acres elsewhere in Maynooth to 'compensate' for the two-year loss of the 50 acres in Newtown area.
The committee agreed to defer finalising the Amended Plan until the 4th September.
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