This article is from page 22 of the 2005-11-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 22 JPG
FEARS that a €35 million hous- ing development would have a negative impact on the operation of Ennis Golf club have been dis- missed by Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council.
This follows the two planning authorities giving the go-ahead to Joe McNamara to build 159 homes on Ennis’s Golk Links Road.
Ennis Golf Club did not object to the planning application. Howev- er, local residents opposed to the plan raised fears over the impact the proposal would have on Ennis Golf Club.
They stated: “The established in- tegrity of the golf course would be seriously undermined by the pro- posed development and its future viability would be uncertain.
“Tf basic land use conflicts are
to be avoided in the future, the present housing application needs to be refused on the basis that it will result in injury to the recrea- tional and visual amenities of the area.
“The proposed housing, because of its proximity to the existing golf course, would give rise to mutual conflicts and injury to both the amenities of the golf course users and of any residential properties which would adjoin it.
The residents also requested the County Council “to refuse the planning application, as the ap- plicant site is not appropriate for housing development in terms of isolation from the sustainable ur- ban structure as a whole”.
“There are no significant public transport facilities. The applicant has failed to include a proposal in relation to the co-ordinated and
integrated approach between land use zoning and public transporta- tion provision and the merits of the scheme having regard to the principals of proper planning and sustainable development.
“The proposed development will erode the semi-rural character of the area as there are sufficient lands zoned within the Ennis en- virons plan to cater for future ex- pansion within the plan and the is premature under the current plan.
“The development as proposed would be detrimental to the amen- ities of the area and the amenities of our property and the amenities of potential occupiers of the devel- e}eyetonim
The objection continued, “Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council should have major con- cerns in regard to the principal of the development. This is a site that
is on the periphery of Ennis town.
In adjudicating on the plan, the Council stated, “Although, the proposed development is located outside the designated Residential Development Area, in practical terms, the proposal cannot be con- sidered to be premature.
“Having regard to the Residen- tial Density Guidelines and the designation of Ennis as a hub town in the National Spatial Strategy the provision of housing at the pro- posed medium density and within walking distance from the town centre is considered appropriate.”
However, having regard to vari- ous provision of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan, the Council gave the planning appli- cation the go-ahead. The decision has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by local residents.