Development plan · Clare County Council
Clare County Development Plan 2023–2029 (as varied)
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Clare County Council · 2023–2029 · 568 pages
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- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism 9.1 Strategic Aims The objectives required to promote a sustainable, well-managed, and high-quality year-round tourism industry that generates economic benefits for all areas of the county are set out in this chapter. In accordance with the overall vision of the development plan, these objectives are based on the following strategic aims: • To maximise the potential of tourism as a ‘pillar of economic growth’ thereby contributing to the balanced economic development of the county and the tourism industry of the region; • To work in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, Clare Tourism Advisory Forum and other bodies to define the tourist experience and to develop a clear tourism identity for County Clare; • To develop and enhance new and existing tourism products, attractions and tourism infrastructure; • To capitalise on the distinct tourist attractions that County Clare has to offer including natural, built and cultural heritage, scenic landscapes and natural amenities; • To work to improve the visitor experience to ensure that all visitors to the county enjoy the unique experience of County Clare and all that it has to offer; • To develop strong, year-round, high-quality integrated tourism products; • To increase the length of tourist stay and ‘yield per visitor’ in the county; • To capitalise on the county’s identified nodes along the Wild Atlantic Way; • To protect the environmental quality of the county on which much of the tourism activity is based; and • To enhance physical access and maximise the potential of underdeveloped areas for tourism. 9.2 Strategy Many of Ireland’s most popular visitor attractions such as the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, Loop Head, the Wild Atlantic Way, Lough Derg and Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) are located in County Clare. The strategy will be to develop and implement an integrated and sustainable high-quality, year-round tourism sector based on the county’s unique natural heritage, culture, music, traditions and an extensive array of both built and natural features and attractions. Development Plan Objective: County Clare Tourism Strategy CDP 9.1 It is an objective of Clare County Council: To support the implementation of the County Clare Tourism Strategy 2030 which establishes a vision for the development of tourism in County Clare and provides for the sustainable and efficient provision and management of Clare's tourism resource.187
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism 9.2.1 Tourism Promotion Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the main focus for the initial phase of the development plan period will be on the domestic market, whilst in the medium term the promotion and branding of County Clare as a tourist destination, both nationally and internationally is key to the future success of the industry. The growth market visitor groups identified for County Clare are: • Culturally Curious – visitors in this category are well travelled and want to discover the hidden stories and get under the skin of a destination, they are socially responsible, environmentally conscious and health conscious, and are independent sightseers who rarely travel in a family group. • Great Escapers – visitors in this category are off-season travellers, independent, price and value conscious, they look for personal and trusted recommendations before purchasing and often travel as couples. • Social Energisers – visitors in this category are early adopters and trend setters, those who don’t want to miss out and are frequent users of digital technology and social media. They are travellers rather than tourists and travel in groups or couples. • Connected Families – visitors in this category are families with young children (generally under 10), they book well in advance, are meticulous planners and are most likely to travel in July and August. • Niche Markets – These markets include golf, wellness, geo/ecotourism, adventure sports, business, and the diaspora. It is important to ensure that the wide array of activities and amenities available in the county are appropriately promoted to ensure the future growth and sustainable development of the tourism industry. Development Plan Objective: Promotion of Tourism in County Clare CDP 9.2 It is an objective of Clare County Council: a) To support Clare Tourism Recovery Task Force in the reactivation of the county as a tourism destination and to support their ongoing work in promoting County Clare; b) To continue to work in partnership with local, national and international agencies/bodies to promote County Clare as a tourist destination; c) To support and encourage cohesion and linkages between the relevant agencies/bodies to implement the key tourism objectives in this plan; and, d) To support and facilitate community groups and tourism providers in accessing funding for appropriate and beneficial tourism developments.188
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism 9.2.2 Integrated Tourism Products The facilitation of access to services, attractions and amenities, the provision of high quality information to visitors (at tourist offices, online, or at accommodation facilities and attractions) and the further integration of tourism products (that is greater cohesion and linkages between tourism-based activities and businesses) are required to encourage tourists to stay for longer in the county to visit a wider array of attractions and engage in more activities whilst here. These actions will assist in generating greater economic benefits from the tourism sector in the county. Development Plan Objective: Integrated Tourism Products CDP 9.3 It is an objective of Clare County Council: a) To work with all relevant stakeholders to achieve an integrated and co-ordinated tourism product. Particular emphasis will be placed on the integration of tourism attractions with accommodation and tourist services in the wider community including those located in nearby town and village centres; b) To support and encourage the creation of linkages between tourism activities and businesses in key areas; c) To ensure a well-signed and interpreted heritage and landscape; d) To improve connectivity to those areas that are difficult to access through the sustainable development of the road network and public transport services, and facilities for improved visitor access and longer dwell times; and, e) To support sustainable travel in the tourism sector by the promotion of public transport use and by undertaking enhancements to overall accessibility. 9.2.3 Tourism Developments and Tourist Facilities It is recognised that infrastructure development must meet the needs of both the resident and visitor populations in order to ensure that County Clare continues to be a high-quality place in which to live, work and visit. A wide range of facilities are required to support the tourism industry and to attract visitors to the county. Many of these facilities can also be used by local residents. These include visitor attractions/interpretive centres, wellness and selfdevelopment facilities, equestrian, watersports and outdoor adventure activities, facilities for boat rental and inland cruising, golfing and family amenities such as playgrounds and woodland walks. In addition, long-term projects such as the Wild Atlantic Way are essential to the economic growth derived from the tourism offering in the county. The Council will promote the development of tourism in a manner that is compatible with the conservation and enhancement of the environment.189
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism Development Plan Objective: Tourist Developments and Tourist Facilities CDP 9.4 It is an objective of Clare County Council: a) To permit tourism-related developments and facilities inside existing settlements where the scale and size of the proposed development is appropriate and in keeping with the character of the settlement, subject to normal site suitability considerations; b) To permit tourism-related developments outside of settlements where there is a clear need for the specific location and the benefits to the local community are balanced with any potential environmental impact; c) To ensure that development of new or enhanced tourism infrastructure and facilities include an assessment of the environmental sensitivities of the area including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); Appropriate Assessment (AA) and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) if required in order to avoid adverse impacts on the receiving environment; and, d) To work with the relevant authorities to develop specific monitoring protocols for visitor pressure on the county's natural, archaeological and built heritage asset and to ensure that tourism activities are maintained within sustainable limits for the European sites in the county. 9.2.4 Visitor Accommodation To encourage tourists to visit Clare and to stay for longer periods, it is necessary to maintain, improve and increase the provision of good quality visitor accommodation in the county. The availability of a wide range of accommodation options is required to ensure that County Clare is an attractive and convenient tourism location for different categories of tourist. In this regard it is an objective of the development plan that new tourist accommodation is located in towns and villages and in close proximity to services and amenities. However, it is recognised that some forms of tourism developments, due to their scale or nature, may require a location outside of settlements. Such developments may include internationalscale, integrated tourism developments such as golf courses. The requirements for such developments to locate outside of an established settlement will be assessed on a case-bycase basis having regard to their nature, scale, site suitability and normal planning considerations.190
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism Development Plan Objective: Visitor Accommodation CDP 9.5 It is an objective of Clare County Council: a) To promote, encourage and facilitate the provision of new visitor accommodation and the expansion/upgrade of existing hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and other tourist accommodation at appropriate locations throughout the county, particularly in areas with existing services; b) To support the redevelopment of brownfield sites, both in settlements and in rural areas, for the provision of tourist accommodation; c) To support the development of new camping and glamping facilities and facilities for campervans/motor homes/touring caravans both within settlements and in rural locations at a variety of locations across the county. Sites in rural locations should be located in close proximity to, and have good connectivity to, existing tourism assets; and, d) To support the development of overnight accommodation in the county ensuring existing visitor attractions deliver, as far as practicable, the aims of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2014-2022 and the Town Centre First Policy. 9.2.5 Wild Atlantic Way The Wild Atlantic Way is the longest defined coastal touring route in the world, stretching 2,600km from the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal to the town of Kinsale in County Cork and the overall objective for this long-distance route is to increase the economic contribution of tourism to the coastal counties in the west of Ireland by increasing international bed nights and revenue and by sustaining and creating employment. The route of the Wild Atlantic Way, as it passes through County Clare, is shown on Map 9A at the end of this chapter. Loop Head and the Cliffs of Moher are designated as ‘Signature Points’ along the Wild Atlantic Way and in total there are seventeen ‘Discovery Points’ in the county. To ensure that increased and sustained numbers of visitors are derived from the Wild Atlantic Way route and that these visitor numbers benefit the local communities these points need to be appropriately managed and ease of access to the route must be facilitated. The central location of County Clare along the Wild Atlantic Way is playing a significant role in raising the profile and visitor numbers along the Clare coastline. Fáilte Ireland is developing191
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism and implementing a series of visitor experience development plans that aim to extend the length of stay and increase the visitor expenditure within the area, and this will be informed by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience Development Plan. In addition, Clare County Council is developing the Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040 to be implemented as part of the overall development and management of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience. Once travelling the route, visitors are encouraged to further explore and engage with tourism experiences and communities in the wider geographic area. In this regard there are numerous towns and villages located close to the Wild Atlantic Way and it is important that visitors are aware of these ’Secrets of the Wild Atlantic Way’. Clear signage is required at optimum locations to raise awareness of the amenities and services available in these areas to increase visitor numbers in the adjacent settlements. 9.2.6 Shannon Estuary Way The Shannon Estuary Way was launched in 2019 following a community-led project supported by Clare County Council, Limerick City and County Council, Clare Local Development Company, West Limerick Resources and Fáilte Ireland, with the aim of making the Estuary a key tourist attraction for the Mid-West. The strategy aims to increase visitor dwell times and spend in the local communities along the 207km Estuary route and to achieve synergies with the Wild Atlantic Way. Clare County Council will work with stakeholders and community groups to gain greater benefit from the further sustainable development of this driving route. 9.2.7 Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands The experience proposition Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands comprises areas within 9 counties including East Clare and has the potential to become a significant catalyst for new growth and development of rural recreation and water-based tourism in this part of the county. Work is progressing on unlocking the potential of this extended region through two transformational projects which are designed to capitalise on the growth in ‘slow tourism’. These are the Beara Breifne Way and the development of the River Shannon and the lakes as a long-distance corridor for water-based activity. In addition, the development of a visitor facility in Mountshannon as part of the Inis Cealtra Visitor Management and Sustainable Tourism Development Plan will add to the tourism offering in East Clare and the wider Ireland’s Hidden Heartland area. Clare County Council has received funding of almost €4 million through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) for the development of a gateway visitor facility in Mountshannon as part of the Inis Cealtra Visitor Management and Sustainable Tourism Development Plan. The area of County Clare included in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands is shown on Map 9A Tourism Corridors at the end of this chapter. The Tourism Masterplan for the Shannon 2020-2030 prepared by Waterways Ireland, in association with Fáilte Ireland and the Local Authorities along the River, sets out an integrated framework for sustainable tourism development along the River Shannon and seeks to reposition the combined Shannon Navigation and Shannon-Erne Waterway (collectively referred to as ‘The Shannon’) as a key tourism destination within Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.192
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism Development Plan Objective: Tourism Corridors CDP 9.6 It is an objective of Clare County Council: a) To work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the sustainable improvement and expansion of tourist services, infrastructure, visitor management and interpretative information and transport networks and amenities for Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, the Shannon Estuary Way, at the identified Wild Atlantic Way Signature Points and Discovery Points as well as at appropriate locations along this route, and for all of the key tourism corridors in the county subject to robust feasibility studies to reduce impacts on the environment and to required appraisal, planning and environmental assessment processes; b) To provide coordinated signage, navigational aids (including digital apps) and information on surrounding services, amenities and activities at key points along county Clare’s tourism corridors to raise awareness of services and amenities available in close proximity to these routes, to enhance the overall visitor experience, and to ensure that businesses in the wider area benefit from the increased visitor numbers; c) To develop the potential of Loop Head as a key destination on the Wild Atlantic Way and Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) as a key destination for Ireland's Hidden Heartlands; d) To develop the potential of the Cliffs of Moher as a key destination on the Wild Atlantic Way by supporting and facilitating the delivery and implementation of the Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040 in line with the findings of the Cliffs of Moher Strategy Environmental Assessments. e) To work with Fáilte Ireland and other key stakeholders to ensure the sustainable delivery of the Tourism Masterplan for the River Shannon 2020-2030; f) To work to develop linkages between the tourism corridors in the county and to the Key Town of Ennis which acts as a tourism hub for the county; g) To support and facilitate the preparation and delivery of the Doolin Pier Masterplan and a visitor services centre at Doolin Pier during the lifetime of this plan; h) To implement the mitigation measures and recommendations as they apply to the county, in particular for the Cliffs of Moher and Loop Head arising from the Wild Atlantic Way Operational Monitoring Programmes;193
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism i) To work with Fáilte Ireland and other tourism stakeholders to support the successful implementation and delivery of Wild Atlantic Way Tourism Plans; and, j) To work with Fáilte Ireland and other key stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation and delivery of Lough Derg Visitor Experience Development Plan 2020-2024. 9.2.8 Business Tourism The further development of the conference and event market is a focus of the County Clare Tourism Strategy 2030 and also Ennis 2040 An Economic and Spatial Strategy. The county is well located to benefit from this growing market due to the excellent national connectivity via the motorway and public transport networks and international connectivity via Shannon International Airport. The Council will continue to work with hotels that offer conference facilities so that opportunities to partake in this growing market are maximised. In particular the development of an internationally branded hotel chain with large meeting and convention facilities in Ennis is supported. The combined business and leisure sector ‘Bleisure’ where professionals are increasingly adding extra leisure days onto a business trip has the potential to bring significant additional revenue to the local area. It is important to ensure that conference and business tourism facilities are integrated with other areas of the tourist economy such as through promotion of local activities and attractions on hotel websites. Development Plan Objective: Business Tourism CDP 9.7 It is an objective of Clare County Council: a) To promote, encourage and facilitate the provision of new conference facilities and the expansion/upgrade of existing conference facilities throughout the county at appropriate locations and in full compliance with all relevant environmental legislation in particular the requirements of the Habitats Directive; b) To support the work of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau; c) To encourage the development of a new internationally branded hotel and convention facility in Ennis to enhance the tourism product; and, d) To support and encourage the marketing of County Clare as a conference location at national and international levels. 9.2.9 Activity and Adventure Tourism Participation in adventure activities is becoming increasingly popular amongst both national and international visitors. This includes very popular activities such as walking and cycling and194
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism other activities like angling, golf, equestrian pursuits, kayaking, canoeing and surfing. County Clare is ideally placed to capitalise on this growing demand for experiential holidays. Its varied landscape, for example, offers opportunities for an expansive range of activities such as water sports, hill walking and orienteering and dolphin watching amongst many others. Significant potential exists to further develop these forms of tourism in a sustainable manner. Development Plan Objective: Activity and Adventure Tourism CDP 9.8 It is an objective of Clare County Council: a) To work with local communities and relevant agencies to achieve the sustainable development of County Clare as a world-class destination for sports and recreation-related tourism development; b) To support the development of low-impact experiential tourism in order to diversify the range of tourist activities available in the county at appropriate locations, subject to an analysis of their potential environmental impact and in order to expand the tourist season; c) To support the sustainable development of water sports, surfing, sailing and water-related events at appropriate locations in the county, subject to analysis of their potential environmental impact; d) To sustainably develop greenways, blueways and peatways and walking and cycling trails including the West Clare Railway Greenway to achieve greater accessibility to the countryside and the marine environment by sustainable modes and to achieve maximum benefit and connectivity at the local, regional and national levels; e) To promote activity tourism subject to appropriate site selection and environmental assessment processes;195
- __________________________________________________________________________________ Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 9 | Tourism f) To ensure that development of new or enhanced tourism infrastructure and facilities includes an assessment of the environmental sensitivities of the area including and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); Appropriate Assessment (AA) and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) if required in order to avoid adverse impacts on the receiving environment; and, g) To ensure the siting of Blue and Green Infrastructure is carefully considered in the context of climate change resilience and flood protection. 9.2.10 Educational Tourism The county is a highly attractive location for educational tourism and there are opportunities for the further expansion of this growing sector. Large numbers of visitors travel to County Clare every year to study its geology, natural heritage, coastal environments and it’s cultural and built heritage. The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark attracts a large number of visitors for educational purposes each year. Potential also exists to expand Clare’s educational tourism based on geological education in the Kilkee/Loop Head areas, maritime/marine renewable energy education in the Doonbeg area, and marine science, renewable energy and climate change research and training at Kilrush. Development Plan Objective: Educational Tourism CDP 9.9 It is an objective of Clare County Council: To support the promotion and expansion of the educational tourism sector in County Clare. 9.2.11 Rural Tourism and Forestry Tourism Tourism can supplement or provide an alternative to farm-based incomes and plays a significant role in the diversification of the rural economy and in sustaining rural communities. Forested areas and rural areas are increasingly used for recreational activities such as walking, running, bird-watching and mountain-biking and many trails and amenities for such activities have been developed. There is an extensive range of public forest areas in County Clare such as the John O’Sullivan Park, Cratloe Woods and Vandeleur Walking Trail which make an important contribution to the tourism and recreational offering in the county. In tandem with the growth in rural tourism there is a growth in the demand for forest-based accommodation and emerging camping models such as Scandinavian-style cabins/chalets, tree top houses and ‘glamping’ pods alongside adventure centres and hubs. Such development proposals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis having regard to their nature, scale, site suitability and normal planning considerations.196
Source Clare County Council: Clare County Development Plan 2023–2029 (as varied) (2023–2029) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.