HOW communication is extended to the public surrounding the draft County Development Plan has been labelled as crucial by Clare councillors.
At a special meeting of Clare County Council last Tuesday evening, it was agreed to move the Development Plan forward to the next stage which is public consultation.
Bones of contention with the plan thus far include lack of ambition with the county’s projected population growth and absence of adequate wastewater treatment systems which will hinder certain areas from zoning.
Work on the Plan began on September 18th 2020, acting senior planner Helen Quinn told Monday’s meeting of the Economic Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC). She confirmed that the draft will go on public display this Friday at Municipal District offices and library branches. Community events are to be held in Lisdoonvarna, Ennis, Kilkee, Clonlara, Killaloe, Clarecastle, Kilmihil, Tulla and Newmarket-on-Fergus from the last week of January to the middle of February.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) stressed that a “serious effort” is required to get the public engaged with the Plan. “One of the big problems when we come to make a plan, people will say they know nothing about it”. “We see a lot in the print media but it is a very fine print. Sometimes we read it and go through it, do the public read it. There should be a column ‘tell the people’,” Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) suggested.
A targeted social media campaign to encapsulate the views of the public is to be devised, Quinn detailed in response. Local media will also be utilised, she confirmed. Initial work in 33 schools across the county will be revisited, “if you get the children involved you get the parents”.
Clare PPN rep, Emma Karan queried if focus groups would examine the draft plan from different perspectives such as environmental. This is not anticipated to occur, Ms Quinn advised.
Ennis and the wider county has “a serious shortage of housing,” Cllr Pat Daly (FF) commented as he sought an indication on the amount of land to be zoned in the Plan. The “core strategy table sets out the amount of land zoned in each settlement, it will be on display from the 10th of December,” she responded.
Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) questioned if the legal opinion that will be offered to elected members will be afforded to the public. He predicted “the kettle is going to boil over in Leinster House” while highlighting that potential discrepancies regarding national and European legislation and the Flemish Decree, “we need to be on the right side of the red line”.
All objectives “as far as I’m concerned are in line with national and European legislation,” Quinn replied. Movement of the public is not restricted in the current draft, Director of Economic Development Liam Conneally stated in reference to the Flemish Decree.
