Over €3m paid out to turfcutters affected by EU habitat restrictions

More than €3 million has been paid out in compensation to turfcutters, who have been affected by restrictions in a EU habitats directive.

Some 2,008 turf cutters have received annual payments of €1,500 each and 180 turf deliveries which have been made to applicants at a total cost of €3,282,232.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Town Planning Consultants

Proposal for retirement village rejected

Councillors in Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown have rejected a controversial rezoning to allow for a retirement village at the foot of the Dublin Mountains.

The proposal involved a variation to the county development plan which spelled out that on a seven-hectare site on the outer side of the M50, at Ticknock near Sandyford, a retirement village would be “permitted in principle”.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Town Planning Consultants

New purpose-built distillery denies it is in breach of planning rules

The first purpose-built distillery for a new whiskey in Ireland in more than 200 years has received a warning from Kerry County Council, which claims it does not have proper planning permission.

The facility for Dingle Whiskey in an old sawmills on the seafront at Milltown, Dingle, opened last week. However, brewing company Porterhouse Ltd has been told certain works have been carried out without permission.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Town Planning Consultants

Opposition mounts to super-sized fish farm in Galway Bay

THE Irish ballad The West’s Awake, by Thomas Davis came to mind of late following the devastating news that Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) had lodged a proposal for a supersized salmon fish farm off Inis Oirr in Galway Bay.

Angling organisations, anglers, stakeholders, hoteliers, restaurateurs, islanders and west coast citizens are “up in arms” and rallying in large numbers in opposition to this outrageous proposal.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Town Planning Consultants

Locals jointly buy Dartmouth Square park

A day of mystery and intrigue in the Shelbourne Hotel ended with Dublin City Council and local residents coming together yesterday evening to buy Dartmouth Square in Ranelagh for €142,000.

The sale of the two-acre square was to be one of the highlights of the latest Allsop/ Space auction of distressed properties, with the auctioneers setting a reserve price of €140,000 on the two-acre square.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Town Planning Consultants

Legal opinion may see rerouting of Galway bypass

The proposed N6 Galway city outer bypass will almost certainly need to be rerouted following a legal opinion by a European Court advocate general that the current plan breaches the EU habitats directive.

Advocate general Eleanor Sharpston found in favour of environmental activist Peter Sweetman, who claimed that a designated special area of conservation (SAC) near Lough Corrib would be adversely affected by the road.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Town planning Consultants

Green light for €370m plan to complete 'missing link' between Luas lines

Preliminary work is expected to start next May on the plan to link Dublin’s two Luas lines following a Cabinet decision yesterday to approve an updated “business case” for the €370 million project. The line will continue north as far as Broombridge

Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar will now ask the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) to “proceed with procurement and contractual arrangements” to allow the project to proceed in 2013.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Town Planning Consultants

Christy O'Connor challenges refusal to extend permission

Golfer Christy O’Connor jnr has brought a High Court challenge to a refusal to extend a planning permission for three houses on family land in Co Galway.

Galway City Council refused last October to extend the normal five-year duration of a permission granted by An Bord Pleanála in 2008 for the one-acre site at Knocknacarra, Salthill, the court heard.

Read the article @ The Irish Times

Posted by BPS Planning Consultants