Greystones District Councillors Raise Concerns About Communication in Call for Sites Process

Greystones District Councillors sought clarity regarding the ongoing "Call for Sites" process, following discussions at the June meeting of Wicklow County Council.

During the meeting, councillors raised a number of questions about how sites were put forward as part of the planning process, Councillors across the County has participated in workshops with planning officials to review submitted sites and subsequently agreed a list of locations they wished to see progress to Stage 2 assessment. During the June council meeting, members sought clarification regarding the role of the Chief Executive in advancing additional sites for assessment.

The Call for Sites process plays an important role in identifying land that may be considered for future development.  Given the significance of planning decisions for residents, infrastructure and the environment, members argued that robust scrutiny and clear communication are essential at every stage.

The discussion highlighted that councillors across the county had differing understandings of the process.  

Members stressed that transparency and clear communication are essential to maintaining public confidence in planning processes. They noted that councillors invested significant time reviewing submissions and engaging with the Call for Sites exercise and should be fully informed of all aspects of the process from the outset.

Speaking following the meeting, Greystones District councillors stated:

"We support sustainable development and effective forward planning. However, it is important that elected members have a clear and consistent understanding of the processes they are being asked to participate in. The discussion at the council meeting demonstrated that communication from the Executive was poor, with public repsentatives from different areas of the county appear to have been given different information>"

This is not about questioning the powers of the Chief Executive or even the suitability of any particular site. It is about ensuring that communication with elected members is clear,  and consistent. Public confidence in planning processes depends on transparency, and elected representatives must be able to clearly explain those processes to the communities they represent