Concern over plans for east Clare holiday development

CLARE County Council has expressed concerns about the visual impact of a proposed holiday development near Ogonnelloe on a strategic regional road, writes
Dan Danaher.

John Walsh, c/o Roy O’Shea, 20 Lower Hartstonge Street, Limerick, recently lodged a planning application for a change of use from residential to recreational camping site, and the construction of six cabins for short stay accommodation, a gravel access path, seven car parking spaces, a waste water treatment system at Kilana Lodge, Rahena More, Ogonnelloe.

The application also included the preparation of an Natura Impact Statement and ancillary works.

In its request for further information, the local planning authority stated the information submitted with this application is insufficient to enable the authority to make a complete planning assessment of this proposal.

The proposed site is accessed via a regional road R 463, which is a strategic regional route. The authority claimed the development proposal would result in an intensification of use of an existing entrance on to the regional road, and it has concerns about compliance with the need to restrict access to strategic regional routes.

It requested the applicant to submit proposals to address these concerns as well as details of anticipated traffic movements associated with the development, and potential reduction in the size and number of glamping pods.

It asked the applicant to provide details of the capacity of the existing jetty on the site to accommodate water-borne transport associated with the development.

A revised site survey is being sought by the authority to facilitate an assessment of the visual impact of the development when viewed from the scenic route.

Stressing the satisfactory treatment and disposal of waste water on a site near Lough Derg is an issue of primary concern, the authority alleged the Site Characterisation Assessment was not completed in compliance with the EPA Code of Practice, and the submitted report contained “numerous inaccuracies”.

“The wastewater loading calculations submitted are not accurately calculated. Some submitted data states that it is propsed to have eight pods and more say six pods.

“in order to accurately calculate the wastewater loading for this development, the EPA Cod of Practice for Wastewater Treatment Systems for Single Houses Leisure Centres and Hotels has to be utilised.

“Since this is a holiday development, the loading will vary at different times of the year, and this must be taken into consideration when designing a suitable wastewater treatment plant.

“The applicant is required to redo the site suitability assessment in the presence of Clare County Council environmental staff.”
The authority outlined that both the Natura Impact Assessment and the Hydrogeological Assessment indicate the existing wastewater treatment plant on site will be decommissioned and the applicant’s dwelling will be connected to the proposed new treatment plant.

However, the authority pointed out this is not reflected on any of the drawings received and required the applicant to provide clarification on this issue.

“The third party observations refer to a right-of-way to the lakeshore and to a jetty, which is located close to the proposed site. It is unclear if the proposed development obstructs said right-of-way or impedes the use of a jetty in third party ownership.

“The applicant is required to provide clarification on this issue, providing details of the location of the right-of-way relative to the proposed site.

“In order to achieve compliance with the Building Regulations, every cabin should not be less than six metres from any other cabin in a separate occupation, and not less than three metres from the site boundary.

“Porches may extend one metre into the six metre division and have to be of the open type. Based on the site layout plan received by the planning authority the required separation distance is not achieved in all instances.

“The applicant is required to submit a revised layout plan, demonstrating compliance with the above standard. Bicycle parking is required on site.

“Details are required of proposed bins/ bin storage locations on site.”

The applicant has six months from the date of the further information to respond. Additional time not exceeding three months can be granted by the authority, if this is deemed necessary.