MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC must make every effort to study the draft of the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 to understand potential changes to their area.
From December 10th to March 28th the draft of the County Plan will be on public consultation. Upcoming consultation events will take place in Clarecastle (February 3rd), Kilmihil (February 8th), Tulla (February 9th) and Newmarket-on-Fergus (February 10th) from 4pm to 8pm.
Acting senior planner, Helen Quinn explained that persons who attend will find out more through information displays and will get the opportunity to ask questions of Clare County Council’s planning department.
She confirmed that a media campaign to promote the consultation events is underway to “raise public awareness and to promote and encourage public engagement in the process”. Ms Quinn stated, “Through the use of the Council’ s social media platforms, the local press and radio media, as well as through the PPN, parishes offices (for Parish newsletters) and schools, every effort is being made to reach as wide an audience across the County as possible. The media campaign will be on-going throughout the consultation period”.
Speaking at the January meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) noted that work had been ongoing on the plan for the past eighteen months and now was the chance for the public to have their say. He expressed “misgivings” with the projected population increases for the county under statutory plans which he felt missed the boat in recognising remote working’s potential for Clare.
“We’ve put an awful lot of time into this, the planners have put an awful lot of time into it, now is the time for their public to have their input, the ball is in the public’s court now,” Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) commented. This was echoed by Cllr Cillian Murphy, “there has been huge work done by elected members and staff, now is the time for the public to get out there and have a look at it”.
Alerts should be issued to county councillors on the various submissions made in their respective areas, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) suggested.
In reference to previous discussions on planned Greenways for Clare, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) remarked, “it is important to have the public’s involvement but unless the present policies are changed we won’t have any problems with greenways, it will be a greenway the entire way from Ennis to Kilrush”.
