Ciaran Cuffe interview
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How is it that we complain when ugly / insensitive / non_contextual / unsustainable constructions take place ??? we ask questions, why didnt anyone object ? how could they let such monstrocities be built ? whats wrong with the system ?
Then we treat almost like outcasts the few people who actually bother to do anything about these things at the critical point (i.e. during planning and before construction)
It was maybe understandable in the past when ireland was a much poorer place, that any development was good , for jobs, ecomony what ever…. and then we darent do anything that might impede these good things…..we needed them !!
Surely now though we have learned from our mistakes in the past 50 years, and anyway can afford that if we let something be built it should be for more of the RIGHT reasons ????
Maybe its a toss up between whether we value our principles (understanding of what is right and wrong ) and that of our ecomomy more ??? -
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are you referring to An Taisce quirkey??? …”then we treat almost like outcasts the few people who actually bother to do anything about these things at the critical point (i.e during planning and before construction)…what exactly is your point quirkey?
[This message has been edited by Peter FitzPatrick (edited 15 December 2001).]
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what i mean is how often do we complain about all sorts of things … not least in this context …all those constructed things which are insenitive to their surroundnings. By this I intend the word ‘surroundings’ in almost all its meanings ….Physically, visually, socially and ecologicaly (maybe especially this one in alot of the cases to do with Ciaran Cuffe).
How many of these constructions that you complain about now, did you object to in the first place ?? How often do you go to your local planning office to check what kind of things are about to be unleashed into your precious world ??
We have no right to complain about the bad things in our worlds if it has been possible for us prevent them from happening in the first place.
Therefore, though sometimes people with certain agendas loose the balance of important things while trying to achieve their own specific goals, on the whole I see it that Ciaran Cuffe and his like are good for the system….. maybe nobody else actually really gives a shit about this world…I for one am glad that there are people out there who stand up for what they believe.
(and if nothing else its at least a check on the system dont you think ??)
whats your point about an taisce anyway ?[This message has been edited by quirkey (edited 15 December 2001).]
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The “Name and Shame†topic first posted on the 16 Nov’ by Rob is very indicative of some of the architectural classics of development that stand in Dublin today and one can only guess at what additional gems would have been added to the list but for groups and individuals voicing their opinions at the pre construction stage.
Also it’s quite puzzling when one thinks that for a nation bigger than Holland in size but of a population of less than 4 million we have chronic traffic problems waste disposal facilities and now the quality of nearly every county council water scheme dimly fails EU standards. We will always have hopefully healthy and rational debate on development of all kinds but the extent of the quality/pollution and lack of action to improve our drinking water supply beggars belief regardless of whether we consider ourselves green or any other colour !!
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A waste disposal scheme was proposed with the construction of Ireland’s first incinerator which would reduce the chronic landfill problem and on par with the rest of our admired Europeans ….this was duely opposed by the Green Party….Ciaran Cuffe & Co.
Too add….. a National Conference Centre which would benefit Dublin city was duely opposed by the above mentioned….now it looks as if nothing will materialize….if it does it will perhaps be more mediocre than what was proposed.
Certain major and much needed road schemes proposed were opposed too by the above mentioned….again when our much admired Europeans wanted to build their autobahns and strada etc ….nothing stopped them from carving through the Alps and creating infrastructure. Abundant prudence and caution leads to in-action….hence the condition of our little island ‘State of Inertia’.[This message has been edited by GregF (edited 17 December 2001).]
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Draw your own conclusions.
Appeal on wind farm withdrawn
By Gordon Deegan
A £10 million (€12.7 million) wind-farm development, led by a former chairman of the Limerick branch of An Taisce, is to go ahead after An Taisce’s head office withdrew its appeal against the development to An Bord Pleanála.Last August Limerick County Council granted planning permission to National Windpower Ltd to construct an eight-turbine wind-farm near the west Limerick town of Athea despite a strong recommendation to refuse planning from the council’s environment section.
A senior engineer in the section had recommended refusal, citing the negative impact the 250-foot turbines would have on the hen harrier, a protected bird under the EU Birds Directive. He said: “It is quite clear that there are a number of areas within the county which are not suitable for wind-farm developments. The Athea site appears to be one of them.”
An Taisce lodged an appeal in September against the development over the possible impact it could have on the hen harrier. The National Trust also pointed out that the conditions imposed by the council did not take into consideration the need to protect the habitat of the site or the need to protect birds from collision.
However, An Taisce has now withdrawn the appeal after negotiations with the managing director of National Windpower Ltd, Mr David Fitzgerald, allowing the development to proceed. Mr Fitzgerald is a founder member of the Limerick branch of An Taisce and resigned last month as its chairman. He remains a member of the branch committee.
An An Taisce spokesman said yesterday: “While the developer is an ex-chairman of An Taisce’s Limerick association, An Taisce’s professional officers dealt with this case exactly as they would with any developer’s proposal.” He said An Taisce had withdrawn its appeal in exchange for commitments agreed in a contract with Mr Fitzgerald, which the spokesman said were “in the best long-term interests of the environment”.
He said that along with “certain modifications to the proposal, the developer will address the principal problem of lack of hard scientific data to show the impact of wind turbines on protected species and habitats”.
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Interestingly…. an issue which was spoken quite a bit about during the peak of our recent (and ongoing) housing and general development crisis in ireland… that of creating a fast track planning system for certain important projects…(innocently maybe i’m assuming… ‘important’ for the people of the locality etc not the developers / buisness people)
While discussing this recently i was imformed that such a system is in permanent existence in sweden…. if a developer strictly follows the development plan, gives the planners what they demand and if they are providing something badly needed by the community… much focus and attention is given to make sure it works well in all aspects and the result is usually a drastically reduced planning period….
otherwise of course development is held up by the machine ….. maybe an incentive for developers to do / propose the right things in the first place.
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