This article is from page 13 of the 2006-12-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
CLARE County Council planners need to be given a short course on Irish history, telling them that British rule ended in the 26 counties as far back as 1921, a former chairman of the local authority stated this week.
Councillor PJ Kelly (FF) launched a scathing attack on the council’s planning department at Monday’s monthly meeting of the local authority, accusing planners of breaking the law when turning down house building applications around the county.
“We have planners in this county using a British document, the Queen’s Highways Agency document, that was never adopted by this council to turn down planning applications,” blasted Cllr Kelly.
“This is wrong,” added Cllr Kelly brandishing a copy of the Vehicular Access to All Principle Trunk Roads document. “This document was never adopted by Clare County Council, but it’s now a case where we apply the Queen’s rules to the disadvantage of people here in Ireland. Are we working outside the law? That is the serious question that has to be addressed here.
“Using this document is an open admission that something that is not a policy is being used as a policy when it comes to planning. There is a contradiction here and it has to be said that we are way beyond the law in using documents that have not been approved to refuse planning applications.”
Cllr Kelly has been a trenchant critic of Clare County Council planning practices for a number of years, particularly when it comes to championing the cause of those who wish to build once-off houses.
He concluded by calling on the council executive to take planners aside and teach them some Irish history.
“When are we going to let them know out in Westgate (Clare County Council planning office) that the Brits left Ireland 85 years ago? It shows how out of touch they are out in Westgate.”