[Article] Councillors won't sell woods because of Cullen's 'record'

Victor

Ha, serves him right - Cullen has been overturning the advice of a lot of councils and his own adisors in the heritage service where they have conservation or archaeological concenrs over projects. How anyone came up with a valuation of €2,380 per acre for mature woodland is "interesting".

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/2339663?view=Eircomnet

Councillors won't sell woods because of Cullen's 'record'
From:The Irish Independent
Tuesday, 13th January, 2004
Ken Whelan

WICKLOW county councillors are resisting the sale of Coolattin Woods to the Department of the Environment because of "the questionable heritage record" of Environment Minister Martin Cullen.

They are demanding that Mr Cullen guarantees the future of the 163 acres of oak woodlands as an historic national amenity on a par with the Burren.

A proposal to transfer the woods to the Department was deferred at yesterday's council meeting until the minister gave undertakings.

Councillors are also puzzled by the buying price of €388,000 for Coolattin, which they say would hardly buy a four-bedroomed house in Wicklow town at the moment.

Coolattin Woods was acquired by Wicklow Co Council in the late 1980s, at the insistence of then Taoiseach Charles Haughey, as an amenity of national importance.

The woods were being commercially exploited at the time, with each oak tree numbered for felling, before the Haughey intervention.

Councillor Deirdre de Burca (Green) said it would be irresponsible to dispose of Coolattin to the current minister without knowing how he intended to preserve the amenity. "There is a total lack of confidence in Minister Cullen on heritage issues. His track record here leaves a lot to be desired."

Cllr Pat Doran (FF), an original campaigner for the preservation of the woods, said nothing should be rubber-stamped until the woodlands' future was secured.

Cllr Liam Kavanagh (Lab) asked how 153 acres of woodlands were worth only the price of an average house in Wicklow town, and Cllr Nicky Kelly (Lab) said Coolattin was being sold for nothing.

star gazer

nice to see there are some level headed councillors in the country. Although we hear about this story can you imagine the ones where he gets away with it...