Tag Archives: An Bord Pleanála

CONTROVERSIAL plans to increase the size of the development of a primary healthcare facility have been given approved by An Bord Pleanala. Valley Healthcare Fund Infrastructure Investment Fund ICAV had lodged an appeal after Clare County Council refused permission for the plans at the former Braids site on Station Road. Last year in a split decision, the local authority refused to amend planning permission previously granted for a mixed use development that would increase the floor area from 7,250sqm to 8,008sqm with the provision of an additional floor set back at roof top level. The plans had initially included an additional deck of car parking which was later omitted by the developers. While refusing to allow the increase in size, the local authority gave the go-ahead to other aspects of the application seeking to amend the initial health care facility plans. During the local authority planning process the proposals had been the subject of a number of objections from local …

Claim that Council decision is based on ‘subjective, unsubstantiated opinions’ unsupported by facts THE operator of a forecourt on the outskirts of Ennis has appealed against Clare County Council’s refusal of permission for refurbishment plans, claiming the decision “is based on subjective, unsubstantiated opinions”. Maxol Limited was recently refused planning permission to refurbish and rearrange the internal area of the food hall of its existing forecourt on the Ennis Road, Clarecastle. The application sought permission to expand the existing deli offering to include a branded hot-food takeaway, with 20 people to be employed. Under the proposal an existing children’s play area – closed since March 2020 due to Covid-19 and that presented difficulties regarding safe sanitation levels for future use” – would have been removed to allow for a reallocation of food hall space to provide a new layout. In refusing planning permission last November, however, the local authority concluded the plans “would result in an undesirable and haphazard intensification …

FRUSTRATION with the waiting time for decisions on planning appeals has been expressed by members of Clare County Council.  A joint motion from Councillors Pat Daly, Mark Nestor and John Crowe made a call for staffing levels at the appeals board to be increased. The members also agreed that more planners should be appointed to Clare County Council to handle a predicted surge in applications in 2022.  “The normal planning appeals decision time with An Bord Pleanála is four months,” Councillor Daly told the December Council meeting. “In recent times, the decision process at the board has totally gone over control… So many appeals in Clare are with An Bord Pleanála for up to 12 months. “One, in particular is a proposed plaza for the outskirts of Ennis. Clare County Council gave its full planning permission 12 months ago creating up to 130 jobs and there’s still no decision [on the appeal]. The reply the frustrated applicant get from the …

DEVELOPERS looking to build a 24-metre mast in Quin have offered to reduce the height of the structure as part of an appeal against the council’s decision to refuse permission. After a significant local opposition, and multiple objections, County Planners refused an application from Vantage Towers for the structure at a site at Quinnville South. The planning authority said that the proposed mast would materially contravene the zoning of the site and adversely affect Quin as an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA). In addition, planners noted national guidelines stating that free-standing masts should only be located, as a last resort, in residential areas or close to schools. County Planners added that the mast development would also impact negatively on a medieval settlement area. In an appeal lodged earlier this month with An Bord Pleanála, Vantage Towers has now offered to reduce the height of the mast to 21 metres. The company said that this is in order “to uphold the attractiveness …

PLANS for the development of a pet crematorium in Ennis, which has the support of local vets, have been put on hold after an appeal to An Bord Pleanala. The appeal against the proposed development at an existing vacant unit at the Ennis Enterprise Centre in the Gort Road Industrial Estate has been lodged by a resident of County Meath, Don Weldon. The development of the pet crematorium is proposed by Aimee and Danny Keller in response to what has been described as “a lack of this service” within the county and surroundings. The nearest such facility is in Kerry, with the developers stating that the associated delay following the loss of a pet “can be very distressing” for owners. Planning permission was granted to the Kellers by Clare County Council in September subject to eight conditions. The local authority stated, “the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity and …

THE impact on the environment of importing fracked gas into the Shannon Estuary will be worse over a 20-year period than importing coal to generate electricity in Moneypoint, a local environmentalist has claimed. Shannon LNG has outlined its plans to seeking planning permission from An Bord Pleanála to build a €650 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal between Ballylongford and Tarbert in North Kerry. An LNG terminal is a facility for regasifying liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped in by an LNG tanker from production zones. Johnny McElligott, Tarbert of Safety Before LNG, has been opposing the proposed gas terminal for years. In his address to the rally, Mr McElligott alleged that importing fracked gas from the United States of America into the Shannon Estuary will have a 44% higher carbon equivalent footprint over a 20-year period than importing coal from Colombia to burn in Moneypoint. “We are going to close Moneypoint because it looks good, but we are going to …

AN Bord Pleanála has overturned the decision of Clare County Council in February to reject an application from Eircom for an 18-metre mast in Kilfenora. The telecommunications company appealed that decision to An Bord Pleanála, who have now granted approval. According to the original County Council decision, such developments can only go close to populated areas, but the An Bord Pleanála inspector was of the view that there had been a misinterpretation. “In my opinion,” wrote the planning inspector, “the Planning Authority have incorrectly applied the appropriate ‘last resort’ test in this instance. The test they applied relates to ‘larger towns and in city suburbs’.” The inspector was also of the view that the facility was required, due to the poor state of coverage in the area. “I have reviewed ComReg’s online Outside Coverage Map1 for this area and note that for Ireland’s three main service providers coverage generally ranges from ‘Fringe’ to ‘No Coverage’ for 4G, from ‘Fringe’ to …

CONSTRUCTION of the Springfield Flood Relief Scheme is to begin next month, with a formal launch to take place this Friday, July 30 in Clonlara. The scheme will provide protection for 18 properties in the area, and involves the construction of a flood protection embankment, land raising, penstock/sluice, pump station and associated works at the townlands of Springfield, Cappavilla North, Cottage and Illaunyregan, Clonlara. Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey described the news as “a relief for local residents” following decades of disruption caused by severe winter flooding. “Residents have been affected by regular instances of flooding in Clonlara on several occasions, stretching back to 1995 and more recently in 2009, 2016 and 2020,” he said. “Having been through multiple flooding events, which has had a devastating impact on their lives and on their homes, it is a relief for local residents that construction is due to begin.” The Office of Public Works (OPW), Clare County Council and Byrne Looby …