Kells 'only getting crumbs' when it comes to area of investment: cllr

A councillor told the annual estimates meeting of Meath County Council that when it came to areas of industry, roads or social amenities, Kells was "not at the same table as the rest of the county" but was instead eating the crumbs that came from that table. Fianna Fail Cllr Bryan Reilly made the complaint at December's monthly council meeting, which saw members passing a budget that provided for no increase in commercial rates for the third year in succession, no hikes in water and waste water charges, and the absorbing by the council of the two per cent VAT increase announced in the national budget. Cllr Reilly said that one of the most important functions of the council was in the area of planning and development, whether this was for a couple applying for a one-off rural house with the intention of setting up a home, or a businessperson who wished to invest and bring jobs through the creation of indutry. Planning was at the core of how the county evolved, he said. It was, however, the same area hardest hit by the recession and planning apppications were now down to an average 25 a week. "We can see in our budget book the impact this has on our incomne with planning fees down by €100,000 and the likelihood is that things are not going to get much better in 2012," said Cllr Reilly. "However, looking at our budget, there is a significant increase in our spending for the forward planning section with expenditure gone up by nearly €200,000 to over a half a million euros," he added. He said in the explanatory notes in the budget book, there is a mention of one of the key plans - Kells Development Plan - a plan that he was working on as a councillor for his own town. "However, it worries me greatly that the town which I am so proud of and proud to represent has been and is continually being left behind when it comes to development in our county. Whether it be in the areas of industry, roads or social amenities, we are not at the same table as the rest of the county. I believe we are eating the crumbs that fall from that table," claimed Cllr Reilly. "So, Manager, I want to know what's in this budget for my town of Kells and can you give me a commitment that the forward planning section and the investment of over €500,000 that we are putting into it is going to produce a document that isn't just going to sit on a shelf but that it will have an implementation team that will deliver for Kells, and that there will be a follow-up on the plans that are drawn up that will stuimulate our local economy and not see us further left behind in north Meath. The county boundary doesn't stop at Navan," he said. The historic town of Kells, "the real home and birthplace of the world-renowned Book of Kells", has for too many years been battered and beaten by all kinds of traffic and was now showing the signs and effects of this, coupled with the current recession, which was biting hard. The new M3 has taken away much of the traffic and local people were grateful for this, but the legacy of that abuse from traffic still remained and Kells needed a stimulus plan that would help the town to recover, improve the streetscapes and buildings, stimulate the local economy and deliver the new Eureka Secondary School and medical centre so badly needed in the town, Cllr Reilly added. "There is money being pumped into south Meath, with €30,000 for a feasability study for science and technology. But is is the north of the county that needs substantial investment also. There must be a financial commitment to recognise this," Cllr Reilly said.