New Scariff facilities, a great boost if granted

SCARIFF Harbour could have a toilet, shower and a service room in time for the annual harbour festival if planning permission is granted next month, following an application by Waterways Ireland.

Waterways Ireland, which has a base in Scariff, has lodged a planning application with Clare County Council seeking planning permission for the development of a public service block at Drewsborough in the village.
The development consists of the construction of two disabled access toilets, two disabled access showers, a service room as well as foul discharge to the existing adjoining Waterways Ireland pump chamber and any associated site works.
Speaking to The Clare Champion Theron Robson, senior engineer with Waterways Ireland in Scariff said if granted, the facilities would be a boost for pleasure cruisers who would be in a better position to overnight at Scariff Harbour.
“One of the things we provide is public service blocks and boat moorings so what we are hoping to put in, in Scariff, is two shower and two toilet blocks, which would serve the harbour and the harbour festival. It’s the same type of facility as we have in a number of other locations for example the one in Garrykennedy. This will be the first one along Lough Derg on the Clare side so it fills a gap along the system and we hope it will induce further use of the harbour and for people to moor there overnight,” Mr Robson said.
The facility itself will be card-reader operated, according to Mr Robson, and will be serviced and cleaned regularly throughout the season. However, he said the toilet facilities will be left open during the tourist season for public use during the day, but will operate on the card system at night.
“Waterways Ireland has funding approved for this development already so if we get planning approval and this is prompt, then we would hope to start works in May and to finish in July just ahead of the Scariff Harbour Festiva. That is our goal anyway,” Mr Robson concluded.
The application is currently before Clare County Council’s planning department and it is expected that a decision will be made at the earliest by April 28.