Site of rare bats divides council
In June, councillors in Clare ignored legal advice by overwhelmingly voting in favour of a residential zoning that was 120m from Poulangordon Cave.
The cave, near the east Clare village of Quin, is home to 89 of the protected lesser horseshoe bats.
One of the world’s smallest bats, it is afforded legal protection through the EU Habitats Directive.
At the county council’s June meeting, director Ger Dollard warned councillors they would be acting outside their powers if they proceeded to retain the residential housing zoning at Feighquin, Quin.
Jan O’Sullivan, the housing and planning minister, used her powers to advise the council to not proceed with the zoning. It was the first time a minister had used powers under Section 21 of the 2010 Planning Act to issue such a warning.
The move to zone the land for housing went out to another round of public consultation in which 22 councillors made a joint submission.
The councillors claim county manager Tom Coughlan and his officials had not put forward any scientific evidence to support the view the area should be zoned “open space”.
The councillors insist they have not acted improperly.
