€125m redevelopment for Limerick village opposed

A €125 million development proposed for the tiny Limerick village of Clarina is facing opposition from An Taisce, which claims it would dwarf the village and create an undesirable precedent for the county.

Earlier this month Limerick County Council granted planning permission to Coolmountain Ltd to develop a 34-acre site around Clarina, which has a population of 105 and is located four miles to the west of Limerick city on the N69 route to north Kerry.

The development, to be built over the next 10 years, comprises a technology park, retail units, a hotel, communal and community halls, a childcare centre, offices and 196 houses.

The village has only 39 houses, and the plan, which would see an estimated 800 per cent increase in population, is facing strong local opposition. In a submission to the council, the Clarina Residents' Association claimed the proposal would deface the rich rural character of the area.

It said a development of this magnitude would overshadow the existing community, with the result that it would lose its identity, adding that the character of one of the county's proud villages would be demolished for ever.

Despite the concerns, the council granted planning permission, arguing that the development was in line with the County Development Plan policy to encourage development into key settlements and that it would be in accordance with the principle of sustainability as the development would be fully serviced and self-sufficient.

Claiming that the proposal should provide a major boost to Clarina and its hinterland, the planner's report stated: "This is a well-balanced proposal, which includes a good mix of uses including facilities for the elderly and the young. Employment will be created, and the overall development when complete should result in a village which has all the basic requirements to prosper and flourish both economically and socially."

Tim Walsh of Coolmountain Ltd said yesterday: "The council's planner's report greatly endorses our plans. Clarina has been in decline, but we will create a new village and will provide quality, sustainable services to allow it to regenerate."

The council's decision has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanála by An Taisce. The Clarina Residents' Association, despite vehemently opposing the plan at council level, has yet to decide if it will appeal.

In its appeal An Taisce claims that the plan contravenes established planning guidelines and current thinking in the area of sustainable development and spatial strategy.

The chairman of Limerick An Taisce's planning committee, Mr John Sheehan, said: "The village has 39 houses, 105 people, no public transport, no mains sewerage, and a water supply that is scarcely adequate for current needs . All current policy would suggest that Clarina should be conserved and that any development should be focused on the needs of the village rather than the nearby city."

He added: "We are concerned at the undesirable precedent that this permission would establish and its implications for the future of sustainable development, both in Clarina itself and in Co Limerick generally."

Mr Sheehan also pointed out that Clarina was designated as one of over 70 towns/villages in the council's list of "key settlements" without any consultation with the local community.