An Taisce has withdrawn its objection to six holiday homes in Kilkee after the organisation's head office found a submission lodged by its Clare association to be "not of a necessary standard".
An Taisce's director Gavin Harte has informed Kilkee architect Tom Byrne that the organisation is withdrawing its objection to Mr Byrne's planned development of six, two-storey holiday homes in the west Clare town.
The secretary of the Clare association of An Taisce, Anny Wise, had lodged a submission with Clare County Council objecting to the development under a number of headings.
The submission said the development would be visually obtrusive and "large estates of holiday homes need good access and services, and we find such a large density of development premature".
Mr Byrne, a former member and planning officer of the Dublin City association of An Taisce, wrote to Ms Wise, describing the An Taisce submission as "wild and ill-considered".
Mr Byrne said in his letter: "The density proposed here is well within the guidelines set out in the West Clare Local Area Plan and the Clare County Development Plan. How does a scheme of six terraced houses constitute 'a large development'?"
He raised the matter with An Taisce's head office in Dublin. It investigated the planning objection, and has written to Clare County Council to ask that the submission be withdrawn.
The proposed development is facing opposition from a number of local residents, and Mr Harte told Mr Byrne in an e-mail: "Iprinciple we are supportive of the local association's stand. However, we intend to monitor this application, and in the unlikely event that the local authority decides to approve planning, it may be appropriate for An Taisce to make an observation on an appeal to such approval."
