Tag Archives: An Bord Pleanála

CLARE County Council is set to engage immediately with affected landowners as it bids to progress a new relief road in Ennistymon that will alleviate traffic problems in the town. Following approval by An Bord Pleanála for the Council’s N67/N85 Inner Relief Road Ennistymon (Blake’s Corner) Compulsory Purchase Order 2020, the local authority is commencing plans to procure a contractor for the works at the earliest juncture. Should the engagement process go smoothly with attendant approvals from Transport Infrastructure Ireland, work could begin on the project early in 2024. Senior Engineer with Clare County Council, Seán Lenihan, added: “Following the decision by An Bord Pleanála, we will now arrange to complete the detailed design and tender documentation required to procure a contractor for the works at the earliest juncture. “We will also commence the engagement process with affected land and property owners in terms of agreeing compensation packages and other associated arrangements required.” Clare County Council published the CPO in …

AN BORD Pleanala has given the green light for a new bridge in Ennistymon in north Clare that will eliminate one of the most notorious traffic bottlenecks in the country. The appeals board has cleared the way for Clare County Council to press ahead with the new bridge that will end the long standing Blake’s Corner bottleneck that delays tens of thousands of motorists every year on their way to and from the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch. The new bridge – which will be 80 metres upstream of the existing bridge – will involve the demolition of one family home that includes a florist and a local branch of the Dept of Social Protection. The scheme also involves the pedestrianisation of the existing bridge. In the long running saga, the Council applied for the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to allow the scheme proceed in June 2020 and confirming the CPO today, the appeals board has taken into account to …

AN Ennis councillor has resigned from the company set up to deliver Ennis 2040 objectives having appealed to An Bord Pleanala against controversial plans for a €450 million data centre. Councillor Johnny Flynn made the announcement he was stepping down from the Ennis 2040 (Strategic Development) Designated Activity Company (DAC) at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. The development of a data centre at Toureen plays a central role in the Ennis 2040 plan where it is included among a number of ‘Transformational Projects’ for the county capital. Councillor Flynn told the meeting he did not want to “distract” from the Ennis 2040 DAC’s work after lodging his appeal against the development on the Tulla Road. He outlined that he has been engaged with the planning process for the site for a number of years including making a submission relating to its rezoning in 2019. Last month Art Data Centre Campus in Ennis became the first to be …

TRUST in An Bord Pleanála is at an all time low, in the view of Clare’s Fianna Fáil Senator, after alleged conflicts of interest at the appeals board.  Speaking to The Champion, Senator Timmy Dooley stopped short of backing calls from his party colleague Junior Minister Niall Collins, who insisted that the board should be scrapped.  Controversy engulfed the agency in recent months and led Deputy Chairperson Paul Hyde to step aside, ‘without prejudice’, pending a probe into allegations of conflicts of interest.  Senator Dooley said the matter has “rocked public trust”. “Most people I’ve dealt with on planning issues believed the board to be completely objective and independent,” he said. “As public representatives, we have the capacity to make representations to the local authority on planning matters, but we are precluded in law from ever engaging with An Bord Pleanála. “It has always been seen as beyond the reach of local politicians or anyone who would seek to influence …

Plans have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála for the single largest ever private housing scheme for Ennis. Availing of the Government’s ‘fast track’ planning system for large housing developments, one of the country’s largest house building firms, Glenveagh Homes has lodged plans for the €65-million 289-home scheme direct to An Bord Pleanala. The Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme is made up of 125 three-bed townhouses, 74 3/4-bed semi-detached homes, 66 two-bed townhouses, 12 two-bed duplex and 12 one-bed maisonettes. The scheme – which comes with 488 car-parking spaces – will also provide a 60 place creche. The site with an address at Ballymacaula, Drumbiggle, Keelty, Circular Road fronts into the Ennis bypass link road between the roundabout near Ennis Golf Club and the roundabout on the N85 Lahinch Road. The 11.32 hectare site – which has a net developable area of 8.9 hectares – is located adjacent to Ennis golf club. As part of the purchase agreement for the …

AN Bord Pleanála has been urged to overturn Clare County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a multi-million Euro housing scheme in Lahinch. The council recently turned down plans for the development of seven detached four-bedroom dwelling houses with detached sheds at School Road, Attycristora, Lahinch. Associated site development works included wastewater pre-treatment and connections to public services. A Natura Impact Statement was also submitted on behalf of the developers, SPL Property Limited, Saint Flannan’s View, Ennis. This was the applicant’s second application for the proposed development at this site, which sought to address the council’s concerns raised in a Further Information Request in relation to the previous application. In this subsequent application, the applicant’s design team revisited the layout and as indicated in the Senior Executive Planner’s Report dated July 1, 2022, the council’s concerns were successfully addressed in relation to a number of aspects. These included drainage attenuation, boundary treatment, pedestrian infrastructure, construction traffic, management, water capacity, …

THE PLANNING appeals board has waded into the controversy surrounding the issue of ‘in-fill’ sites in rural Clare.  These are gap sites that are created where housing is built on either side. Under existing planning policy, those applying to build a house on an in-fill site can bypass certain restrictions including the requirement to prove a local housing need that applies to areas designated as being under strong urban pressure.  In a recent decision, An Bord Pleanála rejected a bid by a couple to build a house on a gap site around 1.5km from Lissycasey and 13km from Ennis. The board ruled the site, between two existing homes, was too large to be considered an in-fill. This meant that the applicants needed to demonstrate a local housing need, and their application had failed to do so. The decision copper-fastened the Council’s original refusal of planning permission.  Assessing the appeal, lodged on behalf of the couple by an agent based in …

THE architectural significance of Quin has been safeguarded by the planning appeals board, who have rejected attempts to erect a mast of over 20 metres in height in the village. The decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse permission to Vantage Towers for a telecommunications tower at Quinville South has copper-fastened a refusal late last year by Clare County Council.  An inspector from the board recommended rejection of the appeal, and this was backed by the executive of An Bord Pleanála. A direction from the board found that the tower “would have an adverse effect on the character of the Quin Architectural Conservation Area, and would seriously detract from and injure the visual amenities of the area”. The direction added that in terms of the visual impact, the closeness to the ACA and the village, the proposed lattice tower did not comply with either the guidelines on telecommunications structures or those on the protection of architectural heritage. It concluded that …