An Bord Pleanála decide against staging oral hearing on Trump Doonbeg resort’s coastal protection plan
Objectors to the Trump Doonbeg resort’s plans to put in place coastal protection works are to miss out on challenging the plan at a public planning forum.
This follows An Bord Pleanála deciding not to stage an oral hearing into the case.
A board official has told all parties in a letter that the appeals board has decided to determine the appeal without an oral hearing.
The letter states: “The board has concluded that the appeal can be dealt with adequately through written procedures.”
The board has told the parties that they will be notified of the board decision “as soon as possible”.
General Manager at Trump Doonbeg, Joe Russell said on Wednesday: “As there is no oral hearing, it appears that An Bord Pleanala has sufficient information to make a decision. An early decision would be helpful to the company.”
It is now over two and a half years since Trump Doonbeg first lodged the plan in December 2016.
In December 2017, Clare County Council gave the Trump firm the go-ahead for 38,000 tonnes of rock to be placed in front of the course at Doughmore beach.
The decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala by a number of parties including An Taisce - the club has already warned that a ‘do nothing’ scenario “will bring the viability of the entire resort and its potential closure into question”.
Others to appeal the Council decision include the Save The Waves Coalition based in California, environmentalist Peter Sweetman, Longford man, Liam Madden and two Co Clare based groups, the Lahinch based West Coast Surf Club and the Miltown Malbay based Save Doughmore Doonbeg Beach Community Group.
The appeals board adjudicating on the appeal was held up for a number of months last year over a legal challenge.
The club has told the appeals board if the natural erosion process is allowed to continue on the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) at the site it would result in a loss of 36% of the dune habitat over a 50 year period.
In response to calls from objectors that the golf course should carry out a managed retreat of the golf course, TIGL state that it has already out put in place a managed retreat of the golf course comprising of works from 2014 to holes 1, 6, 9, 14 and 18.
Consultants for the club state that “the execution of golf hole retreat has gone hand in hand with the planning of coastal defence”.
TIGL state that “moving built property and road infrastructure is not feasible”
The Trump firm also states since the 1990s, the development of the golf course and monitoring plans has produced 8,500 pages of environmental reports.
Separately, a Trump Doonbeg plan for a €40m development at the Trump Doonbeg golf resort remains on hold.
In January, Clare County Council sought further information from Trump firm, TIGL Ireland Enterprises Ltd on its plan to construct 53 holiday cottages, a ballroom/function room, a leisure centre and a new restaurant at the resort.
