Planning permission refused for Burren centre
Monday, 6 March 2000 23:50
There has been a mixed reaction to the decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission for a controversial visitor centre at the Burren. The Minister for Heritage, Sile de Valera, said that she was disappointed at the decision. The Burren Action Group, which campaigned against the centre, said today's ruling had vindicated the stand they had taken for the past nine years. The conservation group, An Taisce, also welcomed An Bord Pleanála's ruling against the siting of the controversial visitor centre at Mullaghmore in the Burren National Park in County Clare.
The latest plan was a scaled-down version of the original. Upholding a decision by Clare County Council not to grant planning permission for the centre, An Bord Pleanála said that it would be an unacceptable degradation of the environment and would detract from the scenery and rural character of the area.
Sadbh O'Neill of An Taisce said that the decision means the Burren will be protected for future generations. This is possibly the last decision affecting the disputed visitor centre at Mullaghmore. Síle de Valera had appealed a decision by Clare County Council to refuse permission for a scaled down version of the original visitor centre plans. In its decision today, An Bord Pleanála said that the proposed development would generate significant concentrations of visitors and traffic, which would impact on the fragile ecology of a number of protected habitats. The Minister has said that she still intends to press ahead with discussions on finding alternative visitor access to the Burren.
The group that had supported the project say that they are disappointed, because it would have been a boost to the area. They still believe that the Burren National Park needs a focal point that would stop visitors going onto private lands in the area.
- News At One: Sile deValera, Minister for the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, regrets the decision
- News At One: Pat McCormack, a local farmer and member of the Burren Action group, welcomes the decision
- 9.00 News: Cathy Halloran, Midwest Correspondent, reports on the battle
- 6.01 News: Cathy Halloran, Midwest Correspondent, reports on the An Bord Pleanála decision
- 6.01 News: Seamus Kelly, Chairman of the National Park Support Association, reacts to the decision live from Sligo
- 1.00 News: Cathy Halloran, Mid West Correspondent, reports on the decision
