SPA designation could scupper estuary plan

A West Clare councillor has added his voice to concerns raised last week that the designation of the Shannon Estuary as a Special Protection Area (SPA) to protect wildlife habitat could prevent a major development from going ahead.
Councillor PJ Kelly told a recent Kilrush Electoral Area meeting that a large company in the United States was considering a new marine related enterprise on the estuary. However, Councillor Kelly warned the company is reluctant to make any decision until fully satisfied this enterprise wouldn’t be affected by the proposed SPA designation.
Director of service, Nora Kaye, outlined a scoping report for a new tender brief for the appointment of consultants to prepare a Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary that has been completed.
The consultants will be required to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and a Habitats Directive Assessment (HAD) to guide the plan.
Ms Kaye stated tenders for the appointment of consultants are due back to the council before this Friday and it is hoped they will be appointed in September.
Clare County Council is the lead authority on the inter-agency body and meetings of the steering group are being chaired by county manager, Tom Coughlan.
While Councillor Kelly welcomed the provision of a SIFP, he expressed concern about hiring outside consultants to carry out the SEA and HAD to guide the plan.
Councillor Kelly insisted the council has enough in-house expertise to carry out this work and noted a lot of information had already been provided about the Shannon Estuary in the West Clare Local Area Development Plan. He also feels it is important that the new SIFP become part of the West Clare Local Area Plan.
However, Ms Kaye explained that because of the strategic importance of the Shannon Estuary, the SIFP would be placed under the framework of the County Development Plan and it is proposed to incorporate it as a variation to this plan. She noted the new SIFP could be referenced in the West Clare Local Area Plan.
“This is a regional plan for the development of the estuary and will have to be included as a variation to the County Development Plan,” she added.
Electoral area chairman, Councillor Oliver Garry said he was glad to see the county council as the lead agency of the new steering group, which includes local authorities in Clare, Kerry and Limerick, a representative of the Department of Environment, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Limerick Clare Energy Agency and the Mid-West Regional Authority.
Councillor Garry complained there has been very little development on the northern bank of the Shannon Estuary and stressed it is important to address this over the coming years.
He said it is important local authorities assist people who propose major developments and expressed concern some developers had to jump through hoops when it came to getting approval for foreshore licences, which often took a few years.
Having attended a public meeting with other public representatives from Kerry and Limerick County Council in Tarbert recently, Councillor Garry warned the designation of a Special Protection Area had a lot of implications for farmers on the Fergus Estuary and Clonderlaw Bay.
Heritage Minister Jimmy Deenihan assured public representatives the SPA designation would not present any difficulties for new industries coming to the area.