Procedures by Clare Co Council in granting planning permission for a holiday home-tourist development near the coastal village of Carrigaholt have been queried by An Taisce.
Its concern stems from a senior council official over-ruling two recommendations by executive council planners to refuse planning for the tourist activity centre and holiday home development one mile from Carrigaholt.
The decision is to come under independent scrutiny after a developer, angry at being refused planning permission on the opposite side of Carrigaholt for a similar-sized holiday-home development last year due to the provisions of the county's development plan, appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanβla.
In the current case, the council's head of planning and economic development, Mr Ger Dollard, granted permission to Tim Counihan, c/o HRM Architects, Waterford, despite one planner pointing out that the proposal was located on a scenic route and in an area designated "visually vulnerable" in the development plan.
The plan, which contained 28 holiday homes, was opposed by An Taisce and local residents due to its location and scale.
