MEMBERS OF Clare County Council have rejected Department of the Environment warnings not to press ahead with a contentious "ad-hoc" rezoning of 70 acres for industry.
The move by the council is one a series of snubs that councillors have delivered to Minister for the Environment John Gormley in drawing up the new greater Ennis development plan.
The councillors ignored departmental pleas to dezone land after it found that there was over-zoning in the greater Ennis area and they loosened the rules on one-off housing.
The department has concluded that the adopted plan "does not represent a strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of Clare".
Mr Gormley is now poised to use his executive powers to direct the council to carry out the dezonings and tighten restrictions on one-off housing with the plan now becoming law.
The largest single rezoning that went against the wishes of the council planners was a proposal to rezone 70 acres at Beechpark on the outskirts of Ennis from countryside to industrial to facilitate a business campus.
Ennis developer Pádraig Howard is promoting the proposal. He believes it will provide 80 to 100 jobs in the short term and expand to a potential 2,000 jobs in the next 10 to 15 years in a "sustainable enterpreneurship campus".
However, county manager Alec Fleming has called on councillors to abandon the rezoning after putting forward a series of planning reasons as to why the site should not be rezoned.
In a council report, Mr Fleming urged councillors to "abandon its ad-hoc" industrial rezoning as it would lead to a substantial risk of contamination of the Claureen river and could affect the spawning grounds of protected fish species.
In evaluating the proposal, the council's planning unit said: "The site contains some of the best examples of mature forest in the Ennis area and such a habitat could be threatened by any injudicious development."
In its submission, the department stated: "If there is a proven demand for such a quantum of zoning, then the council could give consideration to rezoning this land but only where there is no appropriate alternative land which is more closely integrated into the urban area."
However, the councillors ignored the pleas of the manager and the Department of the Environment and pressed ahead with the rezoning.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label clare county development plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clare county development plan. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
Council urged not build biofuel plants in urban areas
CORK County Council planning officials have been urged not to force biofuel industries to locate in urban areas or ports.
Councillor Alan Coleman (FF), who is a member of an EU renewable energy forum, criticised council planners for advising potential ‘green’ industrialists to locate in such areas, depriving rural communities with much-needed employment.
He said he had become aware of an industrialist who had been told by council officials not to locate further west than Bandon. In addition, he said that a company, which had recently had its plans for a plant near Kildorrery turned down by Bord Pleanála, had been told to look towards the port for another venture.
“We’re always hearing that the IDA is moving away from rural areas. Biofuel plants are agricultural-based, so they should be in rural areas. We should be encouraging people to base in rural areas,” Mr Coleman said.
Councillor Tom Sheahan (FG) said that biofuel plants in the US, especially those manufacturing ethanol, were located in rural communities and US companies had expressed interest in setting up similar plants here, again in rural areas. With the advent of global warming he said it was imperative that biofuel production was speeded up.
“These plants should be located close to where the product is grown. I’d be extremely worried if such plants end up in port areas. We should carry out a review of the existing County Development Plan and identify strategic areas of interest, like we did with windfarms. We should do a survey on where crops are and where they could be grown,” FG’s councillor Pat Buckley said.
Councillor Kevin O’Keeffe (FF) agreed, citing that the days of multinational companies locating in West and North Cork were long gone. He pointed out that Bord Pleanála refused permission for the Kildorrery plant, saying that such facilities should be located near a port — and this was not the way to go.
“If we move all these biofuel plants into Cork port we will strip the county again. It will add traffic to the city, beet lorries would congest the whole place,” Councillor Tomas Ryan (FG) said.
County manager Martin Riordan said he would look at the whole situation and bring a discussion paper forward to council’s planning policy committee.
Sean O’Riordan
© Cork Examiner
Councillor Alan Coleman (FF), who is a member of an EU renewable energy forum, criticised council planners for advising potential ‘green’ industrialists to locate in such areas, depriving rural communities with much-needed employment.
He said he had become aware of an industrialist who had been told by council officials not to locate further west than Bandon. In addition, he said that a company, which had recently had its plans for a plant near Kildorrery turned down by Bord Pleanála, had been told to look towards the port for another venture.
“We’re always hearing that the IDA is moving away from rural areas. Biofuel plants are agricultural-based, so they should be in rural areas. We should be encouraging people to base in rural areas,” Mr Coleman said.
Councillor Tom Sheahan (FG) said that biofuel plants in the US, especially those manufacturing ethanol, were located in rural communities and US companies had expressed interest in setting up similar plants here, again in rural areas. With the advent of global warming he said it was imperative that biofuel production was speeded up.
“These plants should be located close to where the product is grown. I’d be extremely worried if such plants end up in port areas. We should carry out a review of the existing County Development Plan and identify strategic areas of interest, like we did with windfarms. We should do a survey on where crops are and where they could be grown,” FG’s councillor Pat Buckley said.
Councillor Kevin O’Keeffe (FF) agreed, citing that the days of multinational companies locating in West and North Cork were long gone. He pointed out that Bord Pleanála refused permission for the Kildorrery plant, saying that such facilities should be located near a port — and this was not the way to go.
“If we move all these biofuel plants into Cork port we will strip the county again. It will add traffic to the city, beet lorries would congest the whole place,” Councillor Tomas Ryan (FG) said.
County manager Martin Riordan said he would look at the whole situation and bring a discussion paper forward to council’s planning policy committee.
Sean O’Riordan
© Cork Examiner
Friday, 23 February 2007
Louth planning rules 'victimising homeowners'
Planning requirements in Co Louth are "victimising homeowners and encouraging rentals", according to a local councillor who has persuaded his colleagues to vote for a review of strict planning criteria applying in the area.
Cllr Terry Brennan (FG) won the support of county councillors to carry out an interim review of the county development plan in relation to the strict criteria on applying to build one-off rural houses.
At the moment the plan states a housing need is established where "the applicant does not currently own a house or has not owned a house within the previous five years or where his/her current accommodation, as accepted by the Planning Authority, is insufficient to meet his/her accommodation needs".
Cllr Brennan said: "Our plan penalises home owners and discourages people from getting on the property ladder. I don't want a carte blanche here but I believe that local people are being victimised."
Last week 13 such planning permission applications were refused. "People are being forced to sell their own homes and rent another property" to meet the criteria, he said.
The guidelines were adopted with the plan last July and it dictates development in the county up to 2009. The official review of the plan is due to begin at the end of this year and usually takes up to two years to complete.
"Quite often the problem is the different interpretation by different planners of what an applicant's needs are, and I want this clarified so we all sing off the same hymn sheet," he said. "I also want people to be able to state what their own needs are."
The council's director of services and planning Rose Kenny advised that the issue was one interpretation of the guidelines and could be resolved.
Elaine Keogh
© 2007 The Irish Times
Cllr Terry Brennan (FG) won the support of county councillors to carry out an interim review of the county development plan in relation to the strict criteria on applying to build one-off rural houses.
At the moment the plan states a housing need is established where "the applicant does not currently own a house or has not owned a house within the previous five years or where his/her current accommodation, as accepted by the Planning Authority, is insufficient to meet his/her accommodation needs".
Cllr Brennan said: "Our plan penalises home owners and discourages people from getting on the property ladder. I don't want a carte blanche here but I believe that local people are being victimised."
Last week 13 such planning permission applications were refused. "People are being forced to sell their own homes and rent another property" to meet the criteria, he said.
The guidelines were adopted with the plan last July and it dictates development in the county up to 2009. The official review of the plan is due to begin at the end of this year and usually takes up to two years to complete.
"Quite often the problem is the different interpretation by different planners of what an applicant's needs are, and I want this clarified so we all sing off the same hymn sheet," he said. "I also want people to be able to state what their own needs are."
The council's director of services and planning Rose Kenny advised that the issue was one interpretation of the guidelines and could be resolved.
Elaine Keogh
© 2007 The Irish Times
Tuesday, 20 February 2007
Bats to be protected in castle development
Clare County Council has granted planning permission for a €70 million plan to transform the 18th-century Carnelly House near Clarecastle, Co Clare, into a retirement village.
Part of the 39 conditions imposed by the council in giving approval is a condition that measures contained in a bat conservation report be carried out in full after the discovery of a nationally important maternity roost for the rare
and protected lesser horseshoe bat. Some €120,000 is to be spent on ensuring the welfare of 30 bats.
The lesser horseshoe bat can be found across northern Europe and Africa and is listed as a vulnerable species as they have become extinct in much of their former range. They are 3.5-9cm in length and have a wingspan of between 22 and 25cm.
As part of the conservation report, the spend on the bats will include the refurbishment of a coach-house building at Carnelly.
Also, the construction of a "fly-over" on a new internal road - which may consist of netting - will be installed to ensure the bats can commute up and over the new road without danger of collision with traffic.
Master Group, the Dublin-based developer, is to also dedicate the coach-house entirely as a maternity roost for the lesser horseshoe bats and will create a new dormer-style home.
The project will create more than 100 jobs on 75 acres of grounds surrounding Carnelly House, five miles from Ennis. The retirement village will include 120 houses of various sizes, 35 apartments and a 64-bed retirement home.
Village facilities will include a leisure centre with a 12-metre pool and a specially equipped gym.
In granting permission, the council ruled yesterday that having regard to the nature, scale and intended use of the proposed development, under the policies of the Clare County Development Plan, the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or property in the vicinity and would not be prejudicial to public health.
As part of the conditions, Master Group is required to contribute €818,000 towards public infrastructure.
The council granted permission for the proposal in spite of strong opposition from An Taisce and local residents.
In its objection, An Taisce claimed that "this development is entirely inappropriate in an unserviced rural location".
Gordon Deegan
© 2007 The Irish Times
Part of the 39 conditions imposed by the council in giving approval is a condition that measures contained in a bat conservation report be carried out in full after the discovery of a nationally important maternity roost for the rare
and protected lesser horseshoe bat. Some €120,000 is to be spent on ensuring the welfare of 30 bats.
The lesser horseshoe bat can be found across northern Europe and Africa and is listed as a vulnerable species as they have become extinct in much of their former range. They are 3.5-9cm in length and have a wingspan of between 22 and 25cm.
As part of the conservation report, the spend on the bats will include the refurbishment of a coach-house building at Carnelly.
Also, the construction of a "fly-over" on a new internal road - which may consist of netting - will be installed to ensure the bats can commute up and over the new road without danger of collision with traffic.
Master Group, the Dublin-based developer, is to also dedicate the coach-house entirely as a maternity roost for the lesser horseshoe bats and will create a new dormer-style home.
The project will create more than 100 jobs on 75 acres of grounds surrounding Carnelly House, five miles from Ennis. The retirement village will include 120 houses of various sizes, 35 apartments and a 64-bed retirement home.
Village facilities will include a leisure centre with a 12-metre pool and a specially equipped gym.
In granting permission, the council ruled yesterday that having regard to the nature, scale and intended use of the proposed development, under the policies of the Clare County Development Plan, the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or property in the vicinity and would not be prejudicial to public health.
As part of the conditions, Master Group is required to contribute €818,000 towards public infrastructure.
The council granted permission for the proposal in spite of strong opposition from An Taisce and local residents.
In its objection, An Taisce claimed that "this development is entirely inappropriate in an unserviced rural location".
Gordon Deegan
© 2007 The Irish Times
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