Scariff students visit Council to learn about the Draft County Development Plan

The visit was part of the public consultation process on the Draft Plan.

The third-year geography students, along with their teacher Ms Darina Sheridan, were welcomed to the Council Chamber by Council Chief Executive Pat Dowling, the Elected Members of Killaloe Municipal District, and Council Planning staff.

The 22 students who attended are the same students who made a submission during the pre-draft public consultation process in November 2020, when they were in second year, as part of a school project devised by the Forward Planning section in Clare County Council. At that time, the students participated in a virtual discussion with the Elected Members of Killaloe MD on their submission.

During their visit to the Council last week the students discussed how their submission informed the preparation of the Draft County Development Plan and learned how they can have their say again at this stage of the plan-making process before the deadline of 28th March.

Cllr Joe Cooney, Cathaoirleach of Killaloe MD, chaired the event where Planning staff made presentations on the Development Plan before an open floor discussion on the students’ biggest concerns and desires for the future of Scariff and the wider East Clare area.

Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, said the students’ proactive participation “demonstrated a high level of engagement, enthusiasm, and innovative thinking which is highly commended, particularly in the face of such unusual and challenging times during the Covid-19 pandemic”.

Clare County Council is highlighting the importance of the engagement of young people and children in the plan-making process to ensure their voices are heard and help to plan for a county that they would want to continue to live, learn and work in.

Submissions on the Draft Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 will be accepted from members of the public and prescribed stakeholders up until 4:00pm on Monday, 28th March, 2022.

To view the Plan and for further information on making a submission or observation, please visit https://clarecdp2023-2029.clarecoco.ie/stage2-draft/display/

 

Captions

Students from Scariff Community College attended a presentation and discussion in the Council Chamber, Áras Contae an Chláir, on Wednesday, 9th March, to discuss how their submission informed the preparation of the Draft Clare County Development Plan. Photo: Eamon Ward.

Page last reviewed: 19/03/22

Content managed by: Planning Department

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