Tag Archives: county development plan

NATIONAL policy on rural Ireland has been condemned by a West Clare councillor, who said it has resulted in an “expensive refusal kit” for planning applications. Councillor PJ Kelly tabled a motion at the January meeting of the local authority, calling for the Minister for Housing and Local Government and Heritage “to indemnify Clare County Council against all costs and/or claims which may arise because the Council, in its County Development Plan, complied with Ministerial Directives on planning guidelines”. Councillors were widely critical of controversial guidelines, over several months, due mainly to the restrictions placed on the number of new homes to be permitted outside of Ennis and Shannon. Concerns were also expressed over the accuracy of population data used to inform the national guidelines, given the most recent Census and the shift to remote working ushered in by the Covid pandemic.  At the January meeting, Councillor Kelly said there was “a duty to protect our Council against any type …

CONTROVERSY around the issue of so-called ‘in-fill sites’ has led to an application by a young couple for a house in Kilkishen being rejected, twice over.  The application to build a one-off house at Teeronea was turned down by county planners last year. Following an inspection of the site, and consideration of national and local guidelines, An Bord Pleanála has now copperfastened that decision.  Both the Council and the appeals board found that the creation of an in-fill, or what the local authority described as “gap sites”, would be contrary to the County Development Plan 2017-2023.  An Bord Pleanála also stated that the couple had failed to satisfy the requirement to prove a local housing need. That was despite the fact that one of the applicants attended national school in Kilkishen.  Commenting on the general principle of in-fill sites, Councillor PJ Kelly, who highlighted the issue earlier this year, described the situation as “crazy and vexatious”. “An in-fill site is …

A SERIOUS issue for a number of members of Clare County Council regarding the upcoming county development plan is the fact it contains allocations for growth. There are concerns that these are going to stymie development in rural Clare, just as remote working becomes commonplace, and this week Councillor PJ Kelly said that certain areas could be totally left behind. “I asked could we get specific about what will Kilrush get, what will Kilkee get and I was told no, it’ll be the total area. That means if you have a big demand in one corner the whole quota of the allocation could be used up in a term much shorter than the six years. “Suppose we allocate X to west Clare over six years, but there’s a big demand and it’s used up in three years. That means we can’t grant any further planning permissions,” he said. The veteran Fianna Fáil councillor said that he had listened to some …

A GROUP of residents who have come together to promote Doora village and make the area a better place to live, work and visit are calling for a change in the locality’s status in the draft County Development Plan 2023-2029. The Doora Community Development Group are seeking, under a submission to the County Development Plan review, a change of the status of Noughaval from a ‘Cluster’ to ‘Small Village’ status and that the village be referred to as Doora. Among the issues highlighted by the group in their submission has been motorists speeding through the village, which they say is “now a serious issue for public safety”. A recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard councillors voice their support, pointing out that a change in the zoning could support efforts to reduce speed limits in the locality. Former mayor Councillor Johnny Flynn has made his own submission outlining his support for the residents and stating that Doora village is …

QUESTIONS have been raised over plans for a major new housing development proposed for Quin, following a number of objections.  Planners are seeking Further Information (FI) on proposals from Datcha Construction, to build 41 homes on a large site at Quin Gardens in the heart of the historic village.  In January, the company applied for permission for 13 detached, 10 semi-detached and 18 terraced houses on a site of just under two hectares. During the submissions window, five objections were received. These include a joint submission from Quin Garden Residents. The submissions have raised concerns over issues including flooding, road safety, traffic volumes and the protection of wildlife. One document details incidents of flooding in Quin in 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2017. Other submissions highlight the requirement under the County Development Plan for hydrogeological assessment for any plans on the development site. Concerns were also raised by some residents about potential overlooking of existing homes.  In addition, The Development Applications …

STUDENTS from Scariff Community College visited Áras Contae an Chláir in Ennis to discuss how a submission they made has informed the preparation of the Draft Clare County Development Plan. As part of the public consultation process on the plan, third-year geography students, along with their teacher Ms Darina Sheridan, were welcomed by Council Chief Executive Pat Dowling, the Elected Members of Killaloe Municipal District, and Council Planning staff. The 22 students made a submission during the pre-draft public consultation process in November 2020, when they were in second year. This was part of a school project devised by the Council’s Forward Planning section. At that time, the students participated in a virtual discussion with the elected members of Killaloe Municipal District on their submission. During their visit to the Council last week, the students discussed how their submission informed the preparation of the draft plan and learned how they can have their say again at this stage of the …

ALARM at the potential impact of forthcoming guidelines on development in rural areas has prompted a rush of planning applications, an East Clare councillor has said. Councillor Pat Hayes said that, after members of the local authority secured a seven-month deferral of the next County Development Plan (2022-2028), those looking to build in rural areas are keen to lodge their applications before the new and potentially more restrictive regulations come into force. At the end of June, councillors unanimously backed a motion to defer the new plan on the basis that Covid-19 had significantly disrupted the public consultation process. The move was seen as a pragmatic response, not just to the pandemic, but to national policies, of which the plan will have to take account. Several rural councillors have made no secret of their concerns that some elements of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) could do irrevocable damage to rural areas. “There …

THE possible negative impact of the deferral the new County Development Plan (2022-2028) for seven months has been played down by the councillor who proposed the move. Councillor Cillian Murphy, who tabled the motion to invoke a new law that takes account of the impact of Covid-19, said that the net delay will be just three months. He added that the deferral is an opportunity to final alternatives to national policies that many fear will do irrevocable damage to rural areas. Last week, the deferral secured unanimous support, with some concerns raised about the potential impact on the county town, which will see both its Local Area Plan (LAP) and Ennis 2040 strategy deferred. “Because the Forward Planning team had actually started the County Development Plan process early, what we’re looking at, in real terms, is a delay of around three months,” Councillor Murphy told The Champion. “I respect the concerns of Ennis members but I don’t believe this will …