This article is from page 14 of the 2006-09-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
A GALWAY company has made a last-ditch bid to develop a sailing school in the New Quay area of north Clare.
Last month, Clare County Council refused planning permission to Redbank Leisure Ltd to develop the school. This followed the company being refused planning permission on three separate occasions for a visitor centre with learning facilities, on the same site.
The council refused permission after opposition to the latest plan from local residents.
However, Redbank Leisure has appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala. The company states, “The proposal was for the development of a sailing school on part of the site which is owned by Redbank Ltd.
“The proposal involves a small section of the site and it is envisaged that the activities of the fish farm would continue on the other part of the site. The reason the principles are proposing this development is that the main business, that is the fish farming, is in decline.”
They argue, “There is no dedicated sailing centre in all of north Clare. There are two in south Clare at Kilrush and at Killaloe. This centre would address this situation and provide a much needed facility to cater for a growing demand in activity tourism and also for the expanding local youthful population who, living as they do on the sea shore, should have the facilities to learn how to sail the sea and taste its boundless possibilities in a supervised environment.
“The applicant owns Redbank and its entire shellfish water site, so it would be in our interests that any risk posed to the water quality or the shellfish in the bay.
“To this end, we have employed environmental consultants and they have produced a comprehensive analysis and a proposal to deal with the issue of waste water treatment.
A decision is due on the appeal later this year.