This article is from page 15 of the 2007-08-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
VETERAN Fianna Fail councillor, Peter Considine, is set for a windfall after lodging plans to construct four homes on his landholding outside Ennis. Ennis’s current deputy mayor, Cllr Considine is seeking outline planning permission to construct four homes at Drumadreheid, Ennis.
Cllr Considine purchased 25 acres of land at Drumadrehid in 1993 and lives at the address.
He is fortunate that the lands are not subject to strict council plan- ning rules that apply to lands in the Open countryside on the outskirts of Clare’s main population centres.
This follows Cllr Considine’s col- leagues in the county council desig- nating the Drumadrehid area a ‘de- velopment cluster’ in the 2003 West Eaves t-te
There are a series of clusters across the county that allow lands, in spite of being located in the open country-
side, be zoned for housing develop- ment. Clusters are usually designated when there are already a number of homes built in the area.
Ironically, because of the council’s tough planning rules in allowing one- off homes in the countryside, Cllr Considine can expect a premium if he decides to sell the sites, if and when planning permission is secured.
An Taisce has made a submission on the plan and has recommended that one of the homes be moved else-
where as there is a ringfort adjacent to site four.
The Department of the Environ- ment has also made a submission on the plan and has recommended that an archaeological impact assessment should be prepared to assess the po- tential impact, if any, on archaeolog!- cal remains in the area where devel- Opment is proposed to take place.
The department has made the rec- ommendation as the development site is within the zone of archaeologi-
cal potential established around the recorded monument, which is subject to statutory protection in the record of monuments and places.
The submission stated, “It should be borne in mind that, if significant archaeological remains are found or there is a significant negative impact, refusal might be recommended and/ or further preservation in situ or by record may be required.”
A decision is due on the application later this year.