Tag Archives: Development plan

A NEW draft county development plan for Clare is about to go on public display, but many members of the County Council have serious issues with it. At a special meeting of the Council on Tuesday evening, the decision was taken to move to the next phase, but several of the members insisted this didn’t mean they were happy with everything in it. There was anger about national policy which provides certain targets for Clare’s population growth, which they feel are too low for the county, and have the potential to stymie its development. There is also concern about inability to zone areas for development where sewerage systems aren’t in place, with a fear that certain rural areas will not have the chance to reach their potential. At Tuesday’s meeting Councillor Tony O’Brien said that moving to the next stage of the plan “does not indicate agreement with the entire contents, that goes without saying”. He warned that there could …

CLARE county councillors have agreed to remove a controversial seven-year residency clause to qualify as a “local rural person” for planning permission in the new 2017-2023 Clare County Development Plan. However, councillors may have inadvertently created another problem for planners after the insertion of a new clause in the classification of the local rural person category. Previously, a person who was not born in an area could not get planning permission for a one-off dwelling unless they had lived permanently in the local rural area for a minimum of seven years. This category has now been redefined as follows: “A local rural person is a person who was born within the local rural area, or who is living in the local rural area for substantial periods of their lives at any stage(s) prior to making the planning application”. Under the new plan, planners will have to decide what is “substantial periods of their lives” for any planning applicant. This category …

Members of the public have just days remaining to have their input into two key strategies aimed at guiding the proper planning and sustainable development of Ennis and County Clare. The public has until this Friday to have their voice heard in relation to the Draft Ennis and Environs Local Area Plan 2015-2021, while a closing date of Monday next is in place for the new Clare County Development Plan 2017-2023. Clare County Council has already held a number of public consultation events in relation to the two separate plans. Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, John Crowe is advising people to familiarise themselves with the new plan and to consider making a submission during the final week of consultation. Mayor of Ennis, Johnny Flynn said, “The new Ennis Plan will guide the development of the county Capital and its environs in terms of economic development, recreational and community requirements, as well as residential, retail, transport and infrastructural needs.