Development of the Banner

Clare County Council has set out its strategy for the economic development of the county from 2011 to 2017 in its new Draft Development Plan. Senior planner, Gordon Daly outlines the main provisions of the plan in an interview with Champion reporter, Dan Danaher

OVER 3,000 single houses have been granted planning permission by Clare County Council over the last five years, according to senior planner, Gordon Daly.
Mr Daly stated the draft plan recognised there was a long tradition in Clare of people living in the countryside and that in these areas the rural townland remains an important unit of identity.
Mr Daly confirmed the council wanted to support this tradition in a positive way as it has done in the past.
Asked if there were any changes in the definition of the local person rule for permission for a one-off house in the open countryside, Mr Daly admitted there would continue to be significant parts of the county, particularly those close to urban areas and scenic areas, where potential applicants must be from the local rural area to qualify.
“This policy must also have regard to ministerial guidelines to planning authorities on rural housing and we need to afford adequate consideration to our attractive landscapes and vulnerable resources such as ground water.  It is about getting the balance right,” he said.
Concern has been expressed by county councillors that the language used in the current development plan was vague and this resulted in claims of inconsistency in interpretation by planners.
Welcoming any feedback on the different approach adopted in the draft plan, Mr Daly pointed out the strategy was broken down into smaller sections, has a clear index, a glossary of technical terms, includes short chapter summaries and at the end of each chapter there are cross references to the other sections or objectives in the plan that might be relevant. 
“The draft plan also has a very high standard of mapping. If any plan or policy document is clearly understood by everyone using it, there are less likely to be issues surrounding its implementation. The draft plan also provides for a monitoring group of elected members to meet quarterly with the director of service/senior planner and this also should assist in this regard,” he said.
Asked about the planning and development challenges facing the county from 2011 to 2017, Mr Daly  replied the renewable energy sector, the Shannon Estuary and the tourism industry are three key areas that present significant potential for development.
“One of the challenges will be to get more from these and other unique assets that County Clare has available to it.  The management of water – protecting its quality, treating enough for drinking water, treating and disposing of waste water and managing excess water at times, along with the costs associated with all of these – will continue to be real challenges in the years to come. 
Another key challenge will be managing the uneven distribution of growth in recent years. Some areas are under pressure to deliver adequate social and community infrastructure, such as schools, due to local population increases. In other areas, population is at best stagnant or in decline and as a result, community services are threatened with closure,” he said. 
Mr Daly explained the purpose of the local planning system was to deliver a correct balance between many different and often competing considerations in the growth and development of County Clare, including those of an economic, social, cultural and environmental nature. 
It is about the common good and ensuring a good quality of life for the citizens of Clare, as well as those who visit the county. 
The planning system is, therefore, about much more than the council handling planning applications. The planning system extends to preparing development plans, local area plans and policy documents and strategies on areas including renewable energy, retailing, social and affordable housing. It includes initiatives on economic development, tourism, infrastructure planning, heritage, conservation, enforcement, regeneration and urban and village renewal. The County Development Plan reflects this broader remit and that is why it is so important for public involvement in the process,” he said.
Asked about interaction between the council executive and councillors, Mr Daly stated that both parties listened to and addressed each other’s concerns through a significant number of workshops.
“Councillors work incredibly hard to an extent probably not fully appreciated by the general public and with ever increasing demands on their time and increased complexity and responsibilities.
The planning system was put under enormous strain during the Celtic Tiger years. This situation was not unique to Clare but I think most of the elected members would recognise a lot of good work was also done at that time and that staff were very committed at a time of great pressure,” he explained.
Over 700 hectares of land has been zoned in the draft plan for marine related industry along the Shannon Estuary covering a distance of 100 kilometres from Limerick City to Loop Head.
The sheltered character of the estuary along with its deep water makes it a natural port. The land zoned is adjacent to the deepest waters on the estuary making it ideal for transhipment and other uses.
Mr Daly confirmed the Ennis and Environs Development Plan and the West Clare Local Area Plan were separate development plans and are not dealt with as part of this process.
Councillors have opted to include shared sewerage treatment plants as an objective and Mr Daly explained the rationale was that adequate wastewater services were not in place in some locations and a small housing scheme might mean the difference between social and community facilities such as a school or post office surviving.
“The objective stipulates that any such proposal must be in line with the various EPA environmental standards and also that proper management and maintenance arrangements must be in place,” he said.
The planning department has a forward planning unit that deals with a large rolling programme of plans including for Ennis and Kilrush Town Councils. 
The draft plan has been produced in-house which is the most cost-effective method of producing same. It was a multi-disciplinary effort with planners and specialists within the planning department and other sections working alongside one another on this and other projects. The printing of the plan was also carried out in-house as the council has its own print room. This again was considered a significant cost saving and there was a large emphasis on reducing usage of paper. 
For this reason, all five volumes of the Draft Development Plan can be bought on CD f or can be downloaded for free from the council website www.clarecoco.ie.