Appeal lodged against refusal to allow new glamping site in Clare village

AN APPEAL has been lodged against the decision of Clare County Council to refuse permission for the development of a glamping facility in west Clare.

Advance Space Providers International had sought permission to develop the new facility in Doonbeg village. The site, which is located close to Doonbeg Castle and Doonbeg Bridge, includes a 'single-storey traditional-style building from which a café has been operating.

The proposed development, includes the provision of four flat-roofed glamping pods, onsite parking, the decommissioning of the existing septic tank, connection to pubic sewer system and a change of use of the existing cafeteria to administration greeting and meeting facility for customers of the proposed glamping site.

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In a decision, delivered just before Christmas, the local authority refused planning permission with planners citing several concerns.

"Having regard to the prominent and central location of the site within the village of Doonbeg, the views available towards the site from the south, the limited onsite screening and the design and layout of the proposed development, the planning authority considers that the the proposed development is not in keeping with the existing built vernacular of Doonbeg village," states the letter confirming the decision.

The letter adds that the proposed glamping facility would be "an undesirable departure from the existing settlement pattern of the area and would seriously injure the visual amenities and character of the village."

The applicant has now lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála with a decision due by April 18, 2024.