Council gets no replies in rural housing debate

Not one member of the public has made a submission to Clare County Council's proposed plan to ease planning restrictions on one-off housing.

Council planners agreed a package of proposed changes last March to make it easier for individuals to secure planning permission for one-off housing in the county.

The changes include watering down the controversial general ban on "outsiders" building in the open countryside to allow people returning to Clare from other parts of Ireland and abroad to build.

They also propose allowing people originally from the Clare countryside to return from urban areas in Clare to erect homes.

The draft changes were put on public display to allow people to make submissions.

However the closing date for submissions has now passed and apart from submissions from three councillors, the council did not receive any from the general public.

The director of Rural Resettlement Ireland, Mr Jim Connolly, said yesterday he was not surprised as people had become disengaged from the process.

"There is no point in making a submission because in the past we have been totally ignored."

He added: "Having plans on public display is supposed to be democracy in action, but it is a farce. There were a number of submissions made in relation to the west Clare plan and they were all ignored."

Clare County Council's head of planning Mr Ger Dollard said yesterday he was not disappointed with the response.

"The variation dealt with a refinement of policy in relation to one-off housing. Planning is much much wider than one-off housing and I think the involvement of the public in the overall development plan preparation process currently underway is beginning to reflect this."

Mr Dollard said he thought there was "a certain amount of fatigue generally" in relation to public consultation processes covering a wide range of issues.

The proposed changes to the planning regulations are due to come before the council's June meeting next Monday.