This article is from page 12 of the 2006-04-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
CLARE County Council has granted planning permission for a €40 million development that is set to transform the village of Clarecastle.
The council has granted planning to Tom Lavelle and Adrian Callanan for 92 new homes, 25 commercial units and a crèche on Clarecastle’s Main Street.
Clarecastle member of Clare County Council, Bernard Hanrahan (FF) said, “The development will bring the heart back into Clarecastle. The village’s Main Street has suffered in recent years with shop closures, but this development will bring life into the village.
Councillor Hanrahan said that the proposed development “will make Clarecastle more like a town, but we don’t want to lose its village identity, but this is a very progressive development”.
“Progress in Clarecastle has been held up because there has been no bypass, but that is all about to change.”
The decision by the council coincides with plans being lodged by CLS Crystal Partner Ltd for 219 residential units at Clareabbey, Clarecastle.
The development includes 72 semidetached homes, 21 terraced homes, 22 townhouses and 104 apartments in three residential blocks.
Cllr Hanrahan said, “It is inevitable and welcome that these lands around Clareabbey are to be developed because of the ease of access on to the Ennis bypass.”
The zoning of large parcels of land for residential housing in and around Clarecastle and the provision of infrastructure through a Serviced Land Initiative (SLI) has made the area a target for developers.
Allied to the zoning is the opening of the Ennis by-pass next year which will open up further areas of land and make Clarecastle a more attractive place to live with the by-pass marking the end of grid-lock in the area.
In relation to the Lavelle/Callanan development, the Council granted planning permission having regard to the area zoned as a local service centre and the high quality layout, design and finishes at an important gateway.
It granted planning permission having regard to the nature, scale and intended use of the site, the policies of the County Development Plan and pattern of development, it will not seriously injure amenities and not be prejudicial to public health.
The Council state that the development will not have a significant negative impact on the area.