This article is from page 7 of the 2008-07-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 7 JPG
THE way is now clear for planning permission for a €50 million retail park adjacent to the Ennis bypass after the disappearance of a rare but- terfly from the site.
The extinction of the Marsh Fritil- lary will also be welcomed by the builder of the bypass, GAMA Con- Struction, as it faced accusations from Clare County Council that it performed a breach of contract by transferring the butterflies to the re- tail park site from the bypass site.
The presence of the butterfly on site represented a major planning hurdle to Stephen Harris in his bid to secure planning permission for the retail park; it prompted the Department of the Environment to lodge an objec- tion against the plan.
However, a new report by expert Ken Bond has stated that the butterfly — which is the only butterfly protect- ed under the EU Habitats Directive — “has been lost from the Skehanagh site and that there are now no suitable habitats for the species in this area of the immediate surroundings”.
The site was initially home to a substantial colony of the butterfly in the year 2000. Larval tents of the butterfly were trans-located onto the site in the Autumn of 2005 as they were threatened by the development
of the Ennis by-pass.
According to Mr Bond, a satisfac- tory population of the species was recorded on the retail park site in 2006 and 2007.
Mr Bond was of the opinion, in the report, that the butterfly has become extinct at the site due to heavy graz- ing during the Autumn and Winter of 2007 combined with flooding events during the Winter of 2005/06/07.
A second expert, Paul Murphy of EirEco Environmental Consultants, visited the site in June 2008 and he affirmed the findings of Mr Bond on the disappearance of the rare butter- uae
The report states: “Mr Murphy did not record any adult butterflies and judged that the vegetation at the site was now a sub-optimal habitat for Marsh Fritillary.
“Mr Murphy broadly agrees with the findings of Mr Bond and also concluded that the butterfly has be- come extinct at the site.”
Last year, the Department of the Environment claimed that planning permission would be be contrary to the aims of the EU Habitats Direc- tive.
On the basis of the new evidence the department may have to revise its earlier objection.
A decision is due on the application next month.