Clare County Council last night enshrined into law its general ban on "outsiders" building in certain parts of the county by adopting the 1999 Draft Clare Co Development Plan.
Replacing the 1988 Development Plan, the document proposes generally to bar non-local persons from building homes in the open countryside, in areas under high development pressure or areas adjudged to contain vulnerable landscapes or scenic routes. This policy will generally preclude non-locals from building houses in the open countryside in an area stretching from a number of miles west of Ennis to Killaloe on the shores of Lough Derg.
The policy will also generally prohibit non-locals from building homes in the open countryside along Clare's coastline, a portion of land along the Shannon estuary and much of the Burren region.
Prior to adoption, the council agreed to replace the word "indigenous" with "local" and the phrase "indigenous population" with "local people" in its settlement policy section of the plan.
The amendment was recommended by the council's planning department in response to submissions from a number of Clare residents criticising the council's policy for being racist and unconstitutional.
Senior executive planner Mr Brendan McGrath told last night's meeting that substituting the word "local" for "indigenous" was not a material change but helped to clarify the policy.
The county manager, Mr Willie Moloney, said at the meeting: "I have no doubt that it is in accordance with the law and the Constitution." After a discussion that lasted 45 minutes, the County Development Plan was adopted with a vote 23-3 in favour.
