This article is from page 16 of the 2009-06-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
SERIOUS questions have been raised over plans by Doolin couple, John and Helen Browne to develop a vistor centre at the Pol an I[on- ain cave which contains one of the world’s largest free hanging stalac- tites.
This follows an appeal to An Bord Pleanala from An Taisce, the Pol an Jonain Action Group and the owners of the rival Ailwee Cave over Clare County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the visitor centre at Pol an Jonain.
In his appeal, An Taisce’s Herit-
age Officer, Ian Lumley said that the applicants have failed to justify the development and the council did not evaluate the application in an inte- grated manner by properly evaluat- ing cumulative impact.
‘Even if the water pollution issues were deemed to be resolved, there is a multiplicity of impacts including traffic generation and physical and visual impact of the proposed struc- tures and parking area.
“The fundamental difficulty of this application is that it completely un- dermines the entire basis on which the previous permission was granted which is that there would be no direct
visitor access of facilities to the site, the visitors being directed through a mini bus service via Doolin.
Mr Lumley states that the appli- cants failed to demonstrate that the park ‘n’ ride from Doolin was not workable.
In its appeal, the Pol an Ionain Action Group asks how could the planning authority which rejected a proposal on four very strong points of planning regulation in 2008 now grant full permission for a similar proposal one year later?”’
“We appeal to Bord Pleanala to try and understand the element of injustice we have had to endure as
participants in the planning proc- ess. While we regard the granting of permission in 2005 as a tragedy, we recognise the conditions laid down by Bord Pleanala limited impacts.”
The action group ask that the ap- peals board uphold the appeal and that all the reasons for refusal of permission in 2008 be upheld; all of our points of our objection to the council are soundly reasoned based on planning regulation and prec- edent and that An Bord Pleanala should uphold its own conditions of permission granted in 2005.
A decision on the appeal is expect- ed later this year.