*Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF). Photograph: Chris Copley
AN APPEAL has made for a biodiversity study and action plan to be carried out for the Corrovorrin River.
In a proposal put before Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) sought greater efforts to protect the undeveloped existing riverside corridor in Ennis.
He pointed out that the River Fergus, its banks and surrounds “play a major role in our county’s flood defences. Alongside that serious function, it also plays a massive role in our county’s wildlife and biodiversity. To enable the Clare County Council to protect these key functions, I request that the Clare County Council carry out a Biodiversity Study and create an Action Plan on the Corrovorrin River (Fergus Minor) from the former West Clare metal bridge (adjacent to Aughanteeroe Estate) downstream to its confluence with the Fergus River at the railway metal bridge (adjacent to Knox’s Bridge) in order to protect the existing undeveloped riverside corridor for biodiversity and nature-based flood solutions”.
Senior planner, Helen Quinn acknowledged that the Corrovorrin River “plays a vital role in the overall water quality of the River Fergus”.
It is monitored by the EPA with the latest river water quality results nearest the Gort Rd returning a Q value of Q4 “which equates to ‘good’ status under the Water Framework Directive indicating that this stretch of river is unpolluted and at satisfactory condition. Further downstream at the Tulla Rd monitoring station it drops to a Q3-4 which indicates a moderate water framework directive status,” she outlined.
Zoning arrangements were made in the County Development Plan, Quinn flagged. “To protect the river corridor and its function as both a flood plain for the Corrovorrin River and its function as a riparian zone, the undeveloped riverside corridor has been zoned as ‘buffer space’ from Kevin Barry’s Avenue to the confluence with the Fergus in the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029”.
She explained, “Buffer spaces are intended to provide a buffer of undeveloped land for the conservation of biodiversity, visual amenity or green space. Buffer spaces may include natural features such as floodplains, riparian zones, turloughs, valuable biodiversity areas including designated sites, amenity areas, woodlands, hedgerows, green spaces and archaeological features. A riparian buffer zone is a strip of vegetated land running parallel to the river which acts as a protection strip for the river. This strip must be large enough to protect the ecological integrity of the river and the riparian zone but can incorporate amenity uses provided it is done sensitively with minimal impact on the water and riparian environment. The remainder of the riparian zone from Dulick to Kevin Barry Avenue has been zone as Open Space which influences the nature of potential development which can be accommodated there. It is intended that lands zoned ‘open space’ will be retained as undeveloped open space, mainly for passive open space related activities”.
Quinn continued, “It is also noted that this stretch of the Corrovorrin River is completely within Flood Zone A which will influence the potential for future development along this corridor. Building climate change resilience into the County Development Plan was a central consideration to both the zoning of lands and the development of objectives for economic growth. All land use zonings were assessed from a flood risk and environmental perspective to ensure resilience and adaptation were accounted for throughout. This led to the inclusion of significant areas of buffer zone which will be protected due to their location adjacent to river channels, the presence of important wildlife corridors or their importance for biodiversity. As funding opportunities arise, the planning authority will seek to prepare Biodiversity Studies and Action Plans for key sites across the county, including Ennis. Given the importance of the Corrovorin River this will be added as one of the sites that can potentially be studied in due course as funding allows”.
Decisions on open space use and its protection were welcomed by Cllr Guilfoyle. He raised concern on the drop of water quality “down along the river” and questioned why this was the case and what could be done to improve it”.
“Climate and biodiversity are key components of any zoning,” remarked Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) when seconding the proposal.
