This article is from page 11 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 11 JPG
CLARE County Council has been asked to commit in the Development Plan to encouraging more businesses and households to use green energy.
Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) said in a motion before last night’s meeting that the local authority should plan for an “uncertain energy future” through measures including encouraging responsible environmental management in building and ensuring high standards of energy efficacy in building developments.
The councillor said that with the cost of home heating increasing considerably, “we have to make serious provision. What I am proposing is something which has been successful in other area plans.”
The was supported by a number of councillors, including Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) who said that he could see “nothing wrong with putting an encouragement into the plan so long as it is not mandatory and it is commendable that we should commit to support more sustainable construction methods.”
But councillor PJ Kelly (FF) said that if the measures suggested by the Green Party councillor were implemented “people won’t be building because they would never be able to afford the mortgages.”