Great news for Waterford Coastline

An Bord Pleanála finally released its decision on the hotel, golf and housing complex at Garrarus and Kilfarrasy proposed by Islandikane Developments Ltd. The decision is a complete refusal to grant planning permission and one which overturns Waterford County Council’s decision to grant permission in Feb 2009.

This refusal by An Bord Pleanála is the decision that the Garrarus group have worked so hard to create a case for and the Bord has recognised and reiterated the compelling reasons to preserve the site as one that is characterised by its open landscape, rural style settlement and special habitats. To read a copy of the Bord’s decision click here.

This is a landmark decision by the Bord which should provide a test case which can set a precedent to prevent similar style developments on other areas of special protection in Ireland. The positive response by the Bord to the appeals it received arguing against this development is one that substantiates the effort, expertise and dedication of all those involved in making these appeals.

This result is the culmination of each and every submission that was lodged with Waterford County Council Planning Authority as all of these were part of the file that was submitted to An Bord Pleanála and so there are many, many people who have contributed to this outcome. The GDCR would like to thank everyone for the support, advice and work that they have undertaken in order to contribute and participate in the campaign of opposition to the proposed development. Their website is here.

We have preserved, for now, the landscape, character and unspoilt beauty of the place in which we live and relax and this is no small victory.

Garrarus Resort Clears First Hurdle!

Waterford News and Star devotes page 3 not to skimpily clad girls but to the news that:

€150 million golf resort clears first planning hurdle

. On the same page,

Residents believe plan is screen for housing

.
P12 of the Munster Express also leads with

Council grants permission for Garrarus resort

.

For more information check out the website of Garrarus & District Concerned Residents (GDCR).

An Bord Pleanala comes in for criticism

Tramore planning decision criticised (p16, WN+S); Planning Watchdog pulls plug on local development (p13, WN + S); Strong Criticim levelled at An Bord Pleanala (p2, ME). This just a sample in the newspapers for the week of the 9th December.

Ferrybank Residents complain over Unfinished Boundaries (p3, ME)...now that sounds familiar. How can be developers be forced to do what they said they would do?

The Kings Channel Habitat is well explained by Joe in his Views from the Brasscock (p7 ME). This is the second of two parts. Click on this link. For the first part, click here.

Kilkenny County Council have developed their mapping systems. Click on their Homepage and then go to maps. The layers include: OS mapping of different scales, administrative boundaries, planning applications, environment data, groundwater protection scheme, sanitary data, heritage, roads and infrastructure.

What is in a name?

This week sees two attacks on the rights of individuals and groups to object.
Developments on fringe of city went unchallenged (WNS p15): Greens, amateur green planners, greens, green people, concerns of small groups, democracy of one, one or two siren voices, Green Party.... some of the many terms used by the Phoenix in his editorial this week.
City Councillor urges serial objectors to see bigger picture in downturn (WT, p38): Hilary Quinlan who is chair of the SPC on Planning and economic development uses phrases such an unusually high number of often frivolous objections and appeals; a small minority of people; self appointed unelected unrepresentative planning watchdogs seeking to win long lost battles and score points for their own petty purposes whilst at the same time standing fully behind the provision allowing citizens input to the planning process,etc,etc.

We will need to keep an eye on potential development of Goughs Wood as:
Snowcream a victim of systematic stripping (ME, p1)
and No more Dairy for Waterford (WNS, p3).
Has anyone seen the new gate/fence on the riverwalk? Is this the start of the end or are the City Council about to begin work on the next phase of the walkway?

I have just returned from the 22nd annual conference of Caretakers of the Environment International held in Aalborg, Denmark. The theme was New energy and sustainability so I was interested in:
Solar: its the way to go (Views from the Brasscock byJPF in ME, p7) and Biomass boilers included in Greener Homes Scheme (ME, B6).
For more on the conference check out: //cei008.blogspot.com

For those of you with a camera: Blue Flag Beach Photo Competition 2008 (ME, B11)..take a snap of Clonea or Counsellor's in Dunmore before August 8th and email it to: pmurray@waterfordcoco.ie

Well done to all at Fenor: Conservators of Fenor Bog receive International (Dutch) accolade (WNS, p25)

What is the IRTRC policy?

Waterford County Council adopted the Integrated Rural Tourism and Recreational Complexes Policy as a variation of the 2005-2011 County Development Plan. (Can be downloaded from their website)

So what?
Well there would appear to be a plethora of planning applications coming on stream with the Garrarus Golf Course development just the thin edge of the wedge. Will the Copper Coast be next? Where will it all stop?

An IRTRC can be defined as a high quality tourism development located in a rural location which includes: a quality hotel (minimum 50 beds); a leisure centre/spa, conference centre; other facilities such as an 18 hole golf club or Adventure centre, marina or indoor recreation centre.
Developments have to comply to certain criteria listed in the Policy document which can be found on the County Council website. These include complying with the Scenic Landscape Evaluation and coastal development and landscape policies; it should not have an adverse impact on sites of nature conservation and so on.
The development should be sustainable and existing site features, including trees and hedgerows should be retained as far as possible to form a comprehensive landscaping scheme. There is supposed to be a presumption against holiday homes/second homes in areas outside of setttlements in Visually Vulnerable and Sensitive areas and along Scenic routes in the Scenic Evaluation map.
Any residential tourism development must demostrate that it does not place unsustainable demands upon the existing or planned infrastructure capacity of the area and does not conflict with the maintenance of the natural and cultural heritage of the area. Ground water quality must not be affected.
This is just a sample of the points listed in the policy. It is to be hoped that the peoples voices are heard by the Council and that only appropriate developments take place. For information about the ongoing Garrarus campaign, check out their website