This article is from page 21 of the 2005-11-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
CONCERN has been ex- pressed over a move by Clare County Council to rezone an estimated 300 acres of land for commercial development on the outskirts of Ennis that contains EU-protected habi- tats.
In adopting the Ennis and Environs Development Plan, the council along with Ennis Town Council re-zoned land in the Doora area for commer- cial development that gener- ated massive windfalls for the owners of the lands in ques- alone
However, the lands which are subject of the re-zonings are designated as areas of eco- logical constraint in the pub- lished Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the €190 million Ennis by-pass.
The lands contain protected fen and also the Marsh Fritil- lary and the Frog bit plants that are also a protected spe- alae
Asked if the Council had the all the facts in relation to the lands when they were re- zoned, the council’s Director for Planning, Mr Liam Con- neally said: “the zoning of land is based upon balancing information as to development needs and environmental im- pacts.
“At the time of the adoption of zoning in the Ennis and Environs Development Plan the information available to the Planning Authorities was relied upon to determine the appropriate zoning of land. At all stages of making the Plan Duchas were informed.
“All land constitutes some type of habitat and the impor- tance of that habitat at a local
regional or national level is only known where sufficient survey and analysis has taken ee leror
“The National Fen Survey carried out by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 2001 did not make a detailed assessment of the Doora area and any information concern- ing any potential habitat value that existed was therefore not available.
“The Development Plan is constantly monitored and re- viewed and where necessary variations to the Development Plan will be carried out.
“The body now responsible for the protection of nation- ally important habitats is the National Parks and Wildlife Service and any recommenda- tions made by them regarding the conservation of key habi- tats will be taken into account in monitoring the Plan.
“All applications for devel- Opment are assessed on their own merits and the character and landscape of a site is a material consideration in that OC e
However, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) has expressed concern over the rezonings.
He said: “it doesn’t appear that due consideration was given to the lands being areas of ecological constraint and questions still have to be an- swered concerning the rezon- ing.
“The uncertainty over the issue would not have arisen if the new Strategic Environ- mental Assessment Directive was in place at that time which would have investigated in a much more comprehensive way the presence of these pro- tected habitats in the lands in e] erie eye mae