Results of Petition of Support  to Wheel Inn Development
petition_handover.jpg (38142 bytes) On St. Patrick's evening, Denis Regan, Chairman of Beara Action Group and Mary Martin-Sullivan, Hon. Treasurer, handed over the results of the Petition of Support for the Wheel Inn Development to Developer John Burke.  The response was huge for such a short time.  There was a total of 1665 signatures plus 62 responses to the online petition - totaling 1727 That number represents approx. 50% of the total electoral population of the area.  The petition was not allowed in the Community School as most of the pupils were not 18 - therefore the majority of signatures were of voting age.  In hindsight we should probably have moved with the petition earlier, but we were hoping that Mr. Jordan would respond to telephone calls and letters and maybe would re-consider withdrawing the 9 objections he had with the development" Mr. Regan said. 
The petition signatures and emails are now on their way to Dublin to be presented to An Bord Pleanala along with the Developer's submission regarding the objections made by Mr. Jordan and Mr. MacGiollarnaith.  Surely, the Bord will look on this development on a restoration - not as a new development - and see from the support that it has received that it is a necessity for the area to move into the 21st Century.  All aspects of the development are sensitive to the area in question, therefore the objections are unfounded.  During the parade held in Castletownbere, many people viewed the plans which were on display in the Beara Action Group Offices in the Square and the read the objections by Mr. Jordan and Mr. MacGiollarnaith plus the correspondence since June '03 last, from the Developers to Mr. Jordan's Solicitor Mr. Joe Noonan (which have to date gone unanswered).  The question being asked over and over again is WHY?   The shock, disappointment and anger was visible on many faces, who read the documents.  Legislation must be put in place to stop this happening in the future - especially when the economic benefits to the area are so great.  People who do not live in an area full time should not have the right to stop progress - especially when the people living there support it.

Surely Democracy will win out in the end!  We have a long wait ahead of us - while An Bord Pleanala decides the fate of our small peninsula - forgotten at the best of times by the powers that be!  The decision will hopefully be known mid-May.  We will keep you informed.