AN application for outline planning permission for an extensive tourism facility at a west Clare resort has been rejected, writes Owen Ryan.
The application for a caravan park, camp site and motor home park with glamping facilities at Dough, Kilkee, was refused by Clare County Council.
In its application, Gold Star Homes 3 Limited said that it was quite a preliminary application and it said it was looking for “confirmation that the principle of the proposed development is acceptable to the planning authority”.
It added that a future application for full planning could be made, subject to outline permission being granted.
A number of objections to the outline planning permission were made, and the Council came down against the proposal.
A Chief Executive’s Order set out the reasons for the decision, one being the state of site access.
“The road network that serves as the access to the site from Circular Road is deficient in terms of capacity, horizontal alignment, surfacing and pedestrian provision in order to accommodate the volume and composition of vehicular and pedestrian traffic associated with the development.”
It also said that the proposed development was deficient in terms of on-site pedestrian provision, street lighting, traffic calming measures and signage.
Neither had the application shown that the proposed internal road layout could accommodate the turning movements associated with on-site vehicles. It said the proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of a traffic hazard.
The Order also said the proposal would not be in line with the Low Density Residential Development zoning in place.
“The planning authority considers that the proposed development is not in accordance with the on-site objective as it does not achieve adequate connectivity with existing uses and adjacent zoned lands.
“This would not constitute an appropriate consolidation of the structure of this residential area of Kilkee and does not demonstrate how the proposal would adequately integrate with adjacent lands. In addition, the Kilkee Settlement Plan includes a number of sequentially preferable sites designated for tourism, which include site specific development objectives to encourage the development of campervan, motorhome, caravan and/or camp sites accommodation.
“Therefore it is considered that the proposed development would be injurious to the amenities of the area, would not be in accordance with Development Plan policy or the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”
The order also stated that the development “would constitute a visually incongruous feature in this residential area of Kilkee”.
The authority deemed it would be an “undesirable departure from the existing settlement pattern of the area, would have adverse impacts on adjacent amenities by reason of general disturbance, and therefore would not be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.