This article is from page 16 of the 2007-03-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
MEMBERS of Clare County Coun- cil have voted to adopt a public con- sultation strategy for the preparation of Development Plans in the county.
They accepted it, after a debate on the issue at yesterday’s month- ly meeting of the Council, during which some councillors voiced their views on the formulation of develop- ment plans.
Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said, “It’s about communication with the ordinary people out there.”
Councillor Martin Lafferty (Ind) said, the document was “very well written. My experience of the last plan was it came in as an item. There wasn’t one word. It was proposed, seconded and adopted,” he said.
Councillor Tom Prendeville (FF) said it was not about a development plan as such. “We are talking about
local representation,” he said.
“The Department has laid out, in euldeline form, how we should con- sult with local groups. I would ask members to go forward,’ he added.
Councillor Richard Nagle (FF) said, “It is up to members here if they want to amend or change the County Development Plan. What we are talking about here is the public consultation strategy.”
“Some people seem to totally un-
derestimate the knowledge of the electorate. What we are talking about here is that we have a clear ap- proach,” he added.
He said that the document should be put on view for public consulta- tion, in libraries and public offices.
The Director of Services in the Planning Section, Bernadette Kin- sella said the document sets out how the council wished to engage in the process of consultation.