Village concerned by holiday plans

A planning application for a 42-bedroom hotel and another for more than 60 holiday homes worth £6 million are causing concern in the Co Clare village of Ballyvaughan.

Mr John McGann, chairman of the recently formed Ballyvaughan Community Development Group, said the village - home to 250 people - was in danger of being overwhelmed by such developments and it had decided to take its future into its own hands. In conjunction with Clare County Council and Rural Resource Development, it is drawing up its own development plan which it hopes will be formally adopted by the council and receive statutory recognition.

The hotel, which would be located between Monk's Pub, and the village, is being proposed by Megcourt Developments Ltd, a company based in Lisdoonvarna. The application, which also seeks outline planning permission for 10 houses, is before Clare County Council; a decision is expected in April. The holiday-home complex proposed by an Ennis company, Jack McCarthy Ltd, would be just outside the village. Situated between the Burren and Galway Bay, Ballyvaughan attracts thousands of tourists annually and is an obvious choice for investors who hope to reap the financial benefits of marketing holiday homes. Mr McGann said: "We have seen the impact the develop ment of holiday homes through the Resort Renewal Scheme has had on places such as Kilkee, so we decided that must not happen here.

"Our infrastructure cannot cope with any more large-scale development. Our water supply and sewage-treatment works are inadequate and the presence of holiday homes makes it very difficult for locals to be able to afford houses."

The development group has received a £4,000 grant from Rural Resource Development to employ a town planner. "This process will be a complex and fraught one with regard to the zoning situtation but it allows people to make a contribution. We are very pro-active and are anxious to preserve the uniqueness of Ballyvaughan."

Father Harry Bohan, founder of Rural Resource Development, said: "The plan allows Ballyvaughan to dictate what kind of future they want for their village."

Chief executive planning officer for Clare County Council, Mr Cia ran Lynch, who is liaising with the development group, hoped there would be similar joint enterprises with other communities. "It is participative democracy and is a very positive development; it will help minimise differences over policy in the future - a `them and us' outlook is of no benefit to anyone."