This article is from page 14 of the 2008-04-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
DOOLIN residents are opposing plans to locate a park and ride facil- ity for the Cliffs of Moher in their AUN E:TSXon
The car park, with 120 spaces, is one of two which Atlantic Develop- ment proposes in order to service the cliffs with park and ride. The other is planned for Liscannor (see above).
Twenty Doolin residents, in their objection, state that “Doolin as a set- tlement suffers from being so spread out and lacking a strong central fo-
cae
It goes on, “The development of a facility such as this in Coogyulla, so far outside the village proper, will exacerbate this lack of focus and will result in a lost opportunity to the village. Located at Coogyulla, the development will draw the village further to this location as further de- velopments locate around the park and ride facility.”
The local residents argue that “no justification has been put forward for the selection of this site for the facil- ity. What makes it suitable and what
will the impact be on Doolin and its environs?
“There is no rural park and ride facility that we are aware of in the country that is of the nature and type that is now proposed and where the park and ride facility is not operated by the operator of the tourist facility for which the park and ride facility is to cater for.”
The residents also contend “that this development should include an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) given the nature and extent of the development and its context. The
location is being put forward without any assessment of its impact on the sustainable development of Doolin and its environs.”
The residents argue that an EIS should be lodged as the park and ride is part of the wide Cliffs of Moher tourist attraction and cannot be con- sidered in isolation but must be con- sidered in association with the park and ride facility at Liscannor
“The social and economic aspects of the location and scale of park and ride facilities should now be consid- ered in the context of Doolin and the
wider north Clare area.”
The objection also includes a let- ter that the council’s former Cliffs of Moher project leader, Ger Dol- lard, wrote to Lisdoonvarna Failte in 2006.
He said, “The implementation of the mobility management strategy will require wide consultation with the communities involved as well as a very practical assessment of the feasibility or otherwise of particular proposals.”
A decision is due on the application next month.