Planning refused for visitor centre at Clare cave

CLARE COUNTY Council has refused planning permission for a visitor centre to serve the Pól an Ionáin cave near Doolin.

The authority refused planning permission yesterday to Doolin Cave Ltd after opposition to the proposal by An Taisce, the Pól an Ionáin Action Group, the Geological Survey of Ireland and the operator of the rival Ailwee Cave.

The operators of Pól an Ionáin cave, John and Helen Browne, secured planning permission for the cave three years ago and opened the cave to the public almost two years ago. There are no facilities on site for visitors with tourists being bused there from Doolin. However, in the plan to improve facilities, the couple lodged plans for a small-scale visitor centre and 37 car spaces.

Heritage officer with An Taisce Ian Lumley said the application warranted summary rejection.

"This application abrogates entirely the principle and consideration on which the previous application was granted," Mr Lumley said. "The effect of the proposal would be to create a range of significant site impacts which would contravene the entire basis on which the previous consent was granted and the mitigation measures contained in the environmental impact statement for the scheme which form part of the legal consent."

Gabriel Casey of the Pól an Ionáin Action Group said: "This application is for a very large development. This is a vulnerable site in an area that is very unspoilt."

He said it would result in a "congregation of views on scenic routes" from which the site extends. "We ask the council to refuse permission on the basis that this development will interfere with a view, the preservation of which is an objective of the county development 2005.

"There is another show cave in north Clare at Ailwee just 13 miles away which has been a mainstay of employment in the area since the 1970s - 103 jobs at present. A competing enterprise just over the road would surely impact on Ailwee cave's business."

The council refused planning permission on a number of fronts: that the proposals for the construction of a reception building would materially contravene conditions that attached to the planning permission that gave the go-ahead to the opening of the cave.