by Louise Doyle
RESIDENTS in Letterkenny have been asked to fight against any attempts to turn a guesthouse into an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre.
The move comes as it’s emerged potential plans are afoot for the change of an existing guest house, known as Belvedere House, to provide accommodation to protected persons.
Documentation posted anonymously to neighbours in the area, seen by the Donegal News, calls on people to strongly stand against any moves to turn the property into an IPAS centre after its owners applied to Donegal County Council for a Section 5 exemption.
According to Donegal County Council, an exempted development is “a development that does not require planning permission”.
The document states: “The property on Ramelton Road, near Ashlawn, have applied for a Section 5 exemption to turn this property into an IPAS centre.
“If they get the exemption, they can turn this property into an IPAS centre without planning notice or planning permission.”
The notice goes on to say: “Please watch the Donegal Council website for exemption as the only way to object will be through An Bord Pleanála.”
The document also aired concerns at the fact that undocumented people could be moving into a residential area that is close to a school.
The document reads: “Do you want your hard earned homes devalued?”
This comes after a Donegal TD is seeking a further guarantee that the Strand Hotel in Ballyliffin will not receive permission to be used as an IPAS centre.
The hotel closed in 2022.
An application was previously made to have the property turned into temporary accommodation for refugees.
Sinn Féin Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn has said he was given assurances by government officials that the location was no longer under consideration as an IPAS centre.
Deputy MacLochlainn has sought further clarity on the status of the application after it’s understood a second offer has since been made to the Department.
The TD stressed that with Donegal’s defective concrete block crisis that the county should be exempt from providing IPAS centres.
On its website, Donegal County Council describes an exempted development as “a development that does not require planning permission, the purpose of which is to facilitate developments of a minor nature.
However, the development must fall within the exemption thresholds.
“If the development exceeds the thresholds, the development requires planning permission.
“Categories of exempted development and thresholds are set out in the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the Planning and Development Regulations (as amended).”
A Section 5 Declaration is defined as: “Section 5 Declaration Under Section 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) any person, on payment of the prescribed fee, may request in writing from the planning authority a declaration as to what in any particular case is or is not exempted development within the meaning of the Act.
“The person shall provide to the planning authority any information necessary to enable the authority to make a decision on the matter.”
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