Objections raised to plan for Clare helicopter pad

A CLARE couple have told Clare County Council their lives have been made a living hell with the circling of helicopters above their home.

In an objection against plans by businessman and farmer Peter Stritch for a helicopter pad at Bellisle, Clonlara, Joe and Gerardine Quinlivan state: "Helicopters have been flown in and out of Mr Stritch's land in the past. This made our lives and that of our family a living hell.

"Helicopters were flown over and around our house at all times of the day. Sometimes, they had to circle our house to get ready to land. In recent times, this has stopped and the peace and quiet and our privacy has returned.

"So therefore, we are appealing to the council to refuse this application and not allow this to happen to us and our family ever again."

A number of locals have also lodged objections against the proposal, while An Taisce has also raised concerns.

Dr David Beckett said this was the fifth application concerning helicopters on Bellisle Farm made by Mr Stritch in the last four years.

"The application follows years of unauthorised helicopter activity by a number of different helicopters making multiple flights per day and all year round."

The council had refused all previous applications for a helicopter landing pad in the area, Dr Beckett added, and the previous reasons for doing so should continue to apply. We live in a quiet, rural and increasingly residential area and it is not suitable for aircraft activity. I request the council to refuse the application for the general good of all the neighbours."

He said the "planning applications have been progressively watered down, but our experience has been that the number of flights and the direction of the flights will be considerably different to those described in this application".

In a separate submission, An Taisce says: "This is open countryside that is agricultural in character and the zoning is not tourist or commercial . . . How many times will applications be refused before the applicant will cease trying?"

A decision is due on the application later this month.