NAAS, 28 November 2002: A suggestion that residents of the Paddocks could consider taking legal action to end the carrying on of a garage business in the estate raised the ire of a number of councillors at the most recent meeting of Naas Town Council.
The suggestion was inferred in town clerk Declan Kirrane's report on a motion by Cllr Pat McCarthy, in which he also said the authority was waiting on legal advice from its solicitors.
Speaking on his motion, Cllr McCarthy said he was suffering from a 'deep sense of frustration' having repeatedly brought up the problem for three years and 'getting the same answer all the time'.
"In the meantime, the business concerned has gone from strength to strenght," he said. "We have discussed the matter in committee manytimes and we are all agreed that the situation is a breach of the planning laws."
He said it was time to 'send a message' to the council's legal advisers to 'move' on the problem, and added that 'leaving it to residents to prsue legal action is an unfair position to put them in'.
Cllr Mary Glennon described the matter as a 'blatant disregard' for the local authority and the residents' and that she was 'ashamed' at the attitude of the council.
"We're taking a lily-livered attitude to the whole matter of enforcement of the planning laws," she said. At which point the chairman intervened with a peremptory interruption.
Cllr Pat O'Reilly said the situation was 'an invasion of privacy' for the residents, but it was not 'a black and white call'.
Cllr Seamie Moore said it was 'splitting the community' and the council 'should be seen to work on it'. Cllr Willie Callaghan said he had been approached by some residents who said they had 'no problem' with the business being on their estate.
Town manager Tommy Skehan said he had asked for the 'most comprehensive' legal advice, as there was no point in going down the legal road unless the council had a 'reasonable chance' of winning the case.
The motion was passed.
