This article is from page 18 of the 2008-02-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
CLARE planning agents and archi- tects have been accused of profiteer- ing by drawing up plans for one off rural houses that have no chance of receiving planning permission.
The accusation came at last night meeting of Clare County Council Where Councillor Martin Lafferty (Ind) called on Clare people seek- ing planning to ensure that their sites fulfil basic planning requirements before they engage the services of an
architect.
“It has come to my notice that when a person decides to go building a house they go straight to an agent be- fore they do anything else,” said Cllr Poua
“In a lot of these cases some of the agents don’t tell them about the four basic issues in one off rural planning. Sight distance, percolation and de- sign and designation of the land.
“I find that a lot of people go to agents, get them to draw up plans and then they are told by the architects to
go to their local councillor to sort it out for them.
“If people who are out there look- ing to build a house, before they go for plans they should ask a few sim- ple questions.
‘They are going to the agents and architects and they are happy to take their money. Some agents are just drawing up their plans, collecting up their money and walking away.”
Cllr Curtin asked that a simple document be drawn up in which the basic conditions of planning in rural
areas be explained for any perspec- tive builders.
The motion was seconded for Cllr Pat Keane (FF) who said there was ‘a major problem” with the current system and joined in the calls for a single document to be produced which would aid people seeking to build in a rural area.
‘This document should outline all of the criteria that 1s required to pass these tests and it should be written in as simple a language as is possible,” he said.