Efforts by Clare County Council to list the residence of the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, as a protected structure are being strongly resisted by the bishop, it emerged yesterday.
Through the Draft Greater Ennis Development Plan the council is seeking to list more than 200 buildings in Ennis as protected structures, and Bishop Walsh is one of a number of opponents of the initiative.
A listing imposes constraints on the property owner where planning permission is needed to carry out interior works, including painting and decorating, while owners could be liable to a fine of up to €1.27 million if they endanger a listed building or fail to carry out the works ordered by a local authority.
The diocesan residence, Westbourne House, occupied by Bishop Walsh is a large mid-19th century Italianate suburban villa set in its own grounds with a cut limestone gateway.
It has been in the ownership of the diocese for 75 years, and recently the bishop sold six acres of land at Westbourne to Ennis Town Council for £1.2 million to provide social housing.
However, in a letter to the council on behalf of the bishop, the council was told that an all-embracing protection order for Westbourne "must be strenuously resisted".
The council was told "that the imposition of protected structure status on the residence would inhibit the day-to-day maintenance and upkeep of the property".
The submission added that "any order which would prohibit the future development of the surrounding grounds would have profound and serious implications for the well-being of the church in Ennis and the Killaloe diocese generally".
The council was also told that "the house and grounds had been identified by Bishop Walsh as the site for the provision of important facilities for the future benefit of Ennis and the Killaloe diocese in totality".
The submission said the bishop and the Killaloe Diocesan Trust had endeavoured to preserve and protect the fabric of the structure. It said Bishop Walsh recognised the architectural and historical importance of Westbourne House and would accept the specific listing of certain elements and features of Westbourne House.
Council members for the Ennis area will consider Bishop Walsh's submission before adopting the plan.
The bishop's opposition to the listing coincides with concerns expressed by the Architect and Conservation Officers Association (ACOA) over the Department of the Environment's decision to cut conservation grants this year by 44 per cent. The grants allow owners to carry out repairs to listed properties. The fund has been cut from €5.1 million to €3 million.
The conservation officer for Limerick County Council and spokesman for the ACOA, Mr Tom Cassidy, said: "The carrot was there to encourage people to have buildings listed and the carrot has now been withdrawn, but the stick remains through the legislation."
