This article is from page 31 of the 2010-01-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
AN action plan aimed at harnessing the industrial and tourism potential of the Shannon Estuary is among a series of measures outlined in the Draft Clare County Development Plan 2011-2017.
The strategy has been unanimous- ly approved by members of Clare County Council following a year- long review process and will be on public display in two weeks before going through a 10-week public con- sultation period.
Once approved, the plan will pave the way for the zoning of over 700 hectares of land for marine related industry at locations along the Shan- non Estuary, the provision of electric vehicle charge points throughout the county, the implementation of the county’s first wind energy strategy, the development of an inventory of community, social and cultural fa- cilities and a requirement for all new buildings and houses to have a low level access shower and toilet on the ground floor.
The draft development plan sets out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable develop- ment of the functional area of Clare County Council. When adopted, the six year blueprint will replace the 2005 development plan and it will be the sixth such plan since 1964.
Welcoming the unanimous adop- tion of the draft plan Mayor of Clare Councillor Tony Mulcahy said its primary goal was to position the county as a driver for local and re- gional growth through harnessing the potential of its unique location, quality of life, natural resources and other competitive advantages.
“Ultimately, the plan seeks to make Clare a better place to live in, work and visit,” he said.
Commenting on the proposed zon-
ing of large tracts of land along the Shannon Estuary, County Manager Tom Coughlan said that because of its deep water, shelter and other natu- ral advantages, the estuary is a sig- nificant potential asset for the county
and for the first time the Draft De- velopment Plan introduces a chapter aimed at developing the Estuary for various economic and recreational one
In addition to this, Mr Coughlan
said that the draft plan introduced new policies in relation to economic development and enterprise in the county including in rural areas. “The draft plan has a strong empha- sis on renewable energy production,
storage and distribution and, for the first time, contains a separate Wind Energy Strategy aimed at further tapping into the potential of the sig- nificant wind resources of the county subject to the normal environmental safeguards. The plan also includes for the first time a chapter dealing specifically with rural development and natural resources.”
Among the other measures outlined in the draft plan are; e A proposal that all new buildings and houses will be required to have a low level access shower and toilet. This measure 1s aimed at ensuring the lifetime adaptability of homes in particular those that would be in ex- cess of the minimum requirements of the current building regulations and will prevent the need for expen- sive retrofitting in many cases. e A record of protected structures for the county which would include photographs and descriptions of over 500 buildings and structures already protected and a further 200 that are proposed for protection. e A proposal that in future certain developments will be required to provide facilities to allow for charg- ing of electric cars and vehicles e A strategic flood risk assess- ment to be carried out in light of new guidelines issued to planning PLbLOeLe)w LBL
The draft plan will be on display in public offices, libraries and on the internet at www.clarecoco.ie within the coming weeks. Public exhibi- tions and various stakeholder meet- ings will also be held around the county and written submissions will lorem UO Net Koxeb