This article is from page 60 of the 2007-05-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 60 JPG
A CONTENTIOUS planning deci- sion described as “unbelievable” by a senior member of Clare County Council has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
Last month, the council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a €40 million housing development in Kilkee prompted Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) to claim that if the local authority was a company, it would be wound up by now.
Cllr Kelly, who is a long-time critic of the planning process in Clare, said, “As a result of this unbelievable deci- sion, the council has forfeited around €4 million, including €2.5 million towards the provision of a new relief road for Kilkee.”
The council turned down a plan- ning application for 196 homes on zoned land at Kilkee Upper by Colm Kennedy, Noel Gallivan and James Rael after strong opposition against the proposal.
The three developers were seeking
full planning permission on the 25- acre site for 116 homes and outline planning permission for a further 80 elt one
The plan also included the con- struction of a childcare facility and nursing home.
However, it attracted 24 separate objections and was subsequently re- jected by the council planning de- partment.
In the appeal lodged with An Bord Pleanala by Byrne O’Donnell Scully architects, the developers state that
they are prepared to provide a relief road joining Dunlickey Road to the Carrigaholt Road.
‘The council themselves were very keen to have the entire relief road, as described on Kilkee maps as far back as 1972, constructed to allevi- ate traffic congestion within the town of Kilkee especially during the sum- mer period.
The developers also asked the council to consider the possibility of a ‘split decision’, to grant permission for houses numbered one to 46 which
are accessed and separated from that part of the proposed development di- rectly affected by the construction of the proposed relief road.
They are also seeking permission “for the remainder of the develop- ment subject to the satisfactory out- come of the now stalled negotiations with adjoining landowners and the satisfactory completion of the relief road joining Dunlickey Road to the Carrigaholt Road”.
A decision is due on the appeal later this year.