Taisce says Clare wants no planning regulations

Members of Clare County Council were accused by An Taisce yesterday of not wanting any planning regulations after renewed calls by council members for a more flexible interpretation of the 1999 Clare County Development Plan.

This follows the adjourned February meeting at which councillors expressed shock that two out of every three refusals by the council last year was for one-off housing in the countryside.

Cllr P.J. Kelly (FF) said: "If you add the 109 application withdrawals to the 187 refusals, it means that 80 per cent of applications in the county last year for one-off housing in the countryside did not get planning.

"The situation is substantially worse than when we varied the plan last June to make it easier to obtain planning in rural areas. From these figures we as a body are assisting in the blight of rural Clare."

Senator Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) said the figures were "startling". She told Monday night's meeting: "Everything is militating against development in the countryside, especially single houses. We must face this down, it is unacceptable and needs emergency examination."

The council's dissatisfaction is the latest controversy surrounding the plan, which contains a provision to ban "outsiders" from building in certain parts of the county.

An Taisce's Heritage Officer, Mr Ian Lumley, said yesterday:"Calls by councillors for flexibility mean really having no planning at all and accommodating people in your own backyard, resulting in group water schemes being contaminated and traffic problems."