Rumours surrounding a local authority’s involvement in three potential, large-scale housing developments have been refuted.

A poor showing in an assessment of Westmeath local authority by the EPA was down to staffing issues, members of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad were told at their May meeting.

The housing assessment was conducted by Economic & Planning Systems ... deed restriction acquisitions and the other large and small details required to put together a local authority.

“Anytime you take away authority from a local government to determine what’s going to happen in their own jurisdiction, it raises some antennas,” said Yaroslavsky, a former Los Angeles City ...