This article is from page 27 of the 2005-11-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 27 JPG
MEMBERS of Clare County Council and Ennis Town Coun- cil have been warned not to put the financial interests of a small number of landowners ahead of the health of 30,000 people liv- ing in the greater Ennis area.
Last September, councillors from the two local authorities agreed to rezone two parcels of land on the outskirts of Ennis which have an area groundwater vulnerability rating.
These parcels of land are also situated in a zone of source pro- tection for the public water sup- ply for the Ennis area.
The Council’s planning de- partment warned that in the light of the boil notice issued in June, the rezonings “will increase the risk to human health.”
Since the councillors adopted the proposed changes, the Coun- cil has issued two further boil notices and the draft changes are
now on public display in order to receive submissions from the public.
In one decision, the councillors agreed that a cluster at Reskaun which contains 12 houses ac- commodate an additional seven homes and a cluster of 12 houses at Ballymaquiggan on the out- skirts of Ennis be extended to in- clude an additional three homes.
In his submission lodged with both councils, Cllr Brian Meaney described as reckless any decision to rezone the lands for housing
He states: “no rezonings in these two areas should take place pending the outcome of an investigation into the cause of the continuing water contamina- tion to the Ennis water supply.
“IT would urge the Council in the light of the two additional boil notices and the ongoing warnings to pre-school children and people in care to strengthen its reasons on why the rezonings
at Ballymaquiggan and Reskaun should not proceed.”
He added: “it also places an onus on the elected members to take a stance on the issue that would not undermine the Council’s case in seeking fund- ing from the Department of the Environment for remedial meas- ures to improve the Ennis water supply.”
“We cannot be seen on one hand to demand monies from Government to improve the sup- ply and endanger it on the other with reckless rezoning deci- sions.”
He added: “the ongoing con- tamination and threat of con- tamination of the Ennis Town Water Supply is a serious issue that the current review of the plan does not deal with.
“All land rezoning proposed in the review where a connection to the Ennis Town Water sup- ply is envisaged, be conditional that no development take place
until the upgrading of the En- nis Town Supply and connection and operation of the augmenta- tion scheme is complete.”
‘The proposed conditional re- zoning at Ballymaquiggan and Reskaun not take place.”
“Any further review or new plan include a plan objective requiring an appraisal of the de- sign capacity against the current use of the water and sewerage systems in the town.”
“This should include inform- ing members where flow capaci- ties are reaching their peak so that further development of the town is considered in a more in- formed manner.”
The rezonings and _ other changes to the Ennis and Envi- rons Plan will revert back to the council with a planner’s report before the Councils make their final decision. Both Councils are expected to debate the proposed rezonings at their monthly De- cember meetings.