Calls For Planning Laws For Vital Projects To Be Changed To Avoid Delays

Photo © Clare County Council

Calls are being made for the red tape holding up planning applications for vital infrastructure to be lifted.

It follows news that an application for flood defences for Shannon Airport, the town and its surrounds has been put on hold until further information is supplied, leading to a fresh delay to the project.

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In 2014, there was extensive flooding around the Shannon Airport lands and the nearby golf club, and the effects of a storm at that time saw some damage to embankments that were in place to protect them.

Now, a planning application to install new ones and repair this damage has hit a delay.

Clare County Council has requested further information on an application from the Shannon Airport Authority for these works, putting the application on hold.

Shannon Sinn Féin Councillor Donna McGettigan is concerned about the impact of this.

Newmarket-on-Fergus Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat McMahon is backing those calls for a look at how the planning process is completed for projects of this nature.

He believes there is too much red tape that leads to hold up and it’s communities that are paying the price for it.

Once the local authority is supplied with the further information requested from the Shannon Airport Authority, work will resume on processing the application, after which a decision one way or the other will be revealed.

Separately, a €27 million flood defence project is being progressed which will address wider flooding issues affecting Shannon Airport, the town and surrounding areas.