This article is from page 14 of the 2005-10-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
THE owners of the ill-fated Holywell restaurant in Bally- vaughan have claimed that a decision to refuse plans to trans- form it into a language centre would have the most serious repercussions for the whole of the Holywell venture.
Wolfgang and Sibylle Diet! shut down their restaurant in a bid to avoid the building containing it from being demolished and lodged plans to change it into a language centre.
In an appeal against Clare County Council’s refusal of permission for the change, the Dielts state, “If the language school is to survive as a stand-alone business, it is crucial for the Dietls to have the necessary facilities to increase their stu- o(STel meee AN .con
“The Dietls have taken out a loan in the region of €1.5 mil- lion on their overall venture, as no government grants were available to them. Holywell has not only acted as a language school and restaurant, but also as a cultural and social facility for the village which is devoid of such amenities.
“The local community hall is not a very warm and welcom-
ing place, as are such halls throughout the country through no fault of the community.
“As Holywell is an inviting and warm venue during the Winter months, it has hosted concerts, lectures, and a film club, along with evening classes in languages, computers, tra- ditional music workshops, yoga and creative writing. These unique and educational events are focused at and for the ben- efit the local population.”
In their appeal, the Dietls also hit out at the Council, rul- ing that it would create an undesirable precedent for further commercial development on this site and in the Burren coun- tryside.
They state, “It is considered that, in the recent past, several precedents of this type of commercial activity have been es- tablished outside the village of Ballyvaughan and that these ventures have both relieved congestion to the narrow streets of the village and brought people to the wider region around WN eLomatAUOEaRXoe
“We therefore contend that this level and type of commer- cial development has several precedents within the wider area
around the village of Ballyvaughan.
“We feel that we have demonstrated that the structure in question does not seriously injure the visual amenities and natural integrity of the area.
“It is considered that any damage — visually or the natural integrity to the area — was essentially done by the originally permitted works and not by the more congruous extension with its vernacular design and natural finishes. It is not con- sidered that the extension has had any further significant over- all impact on the landscape of the region.
‘This area reflects just 17% of the complex in terms of floor area. It is considered that this is not a significant expansion and one that does not materially change the complex or its use, taking into account that it is a well-screened, single-sto- rey structure at the lowest point of the 40-acre holding.
‘There is an existing precedent of commercial ventures in the wider area around Ballyvaughan and that the extension for retention is located on a site that already has a permitted educational use, with all ancillary services in place.”