Caher

Caher

Location and Context

Caher village is located directly on the shores of Lough Graney and it has a tight-knit centre with a small number of houses developed in a linear manner on the road to the east and the west of the centre.

There has been little development in the village in recent years and therefore Caher has retained a very rural character. There are a number of farm buildings within the settlement boundary and much of the zoned land remains in agricultural use. The village core has a very traditional compact character, with dwellings and outbuildings tightly clustered together and many buildings located directly on the road edge.

The village is highly attractive, overlooking the lake, with well maintained green areas and a small pier at the water’s edge. The natural amenities in Caher and its vicinity offer potential for tourism development, where recreational opportunities can attract visitors to the area. The entire settlement of Caher is located within the Shannon - Graney/Scarriff Margaritifera (Freshwater Pearl Mussel (FPM)) Sensitive Area. While the current status of the FPM in this catchment is unknown, there are previous records of the FPM in this catchment and therefore any proposed development will need to take into consideration the potential negative effects on this species and its habitat. Any future development should be subject to the requirements of the Habitats Directive given the proximity of the village to the Slieve Aughty designated European Site. See also the Natura Impact Report for further relevant mitigation measures and recommendations at site and project level. There is no public wastewater treatment plant in Caher. The EPA Code of Practice for Wastewater Treatment Systems must be strictly adhered to in order to ensure no significant long term effects on the surrounding European sites.

General Objectives

• To ensure that existing population levels and services are maintained and to encourage new residents to the village;

• To ensure that future growth in Caher is incremental and small scale in nature, relative and appropriate to the scale, size and character of the population and services in the village;

• To encourage the provision of the necessary infrastructure to allow for future growth in the village;

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• To support a rural settlement network of Flagmount- Caher – Killanena to harness the potential of sustainable tourism and recreational activities around Lough Graney and the

Slieve Aughty Region;

• To promote the Slieve Aughty region as a tourism location and to develop a series of viewing points in the area; • To develop walking and cycling trails from the village offering greater accessibility to countryside environment by sustainable modes of travel and promote the sustainable designation and delivery of Greenway and Blueway Corridors.

Employment and Enterprise

Caher, along with the sister settlements of Flagmount and Killanena is ideally positioned to harness the potential of sustainable tourism activities centred on the lake and surrounding uplands.

In order to promote economic development, a site in the centre of the village is zoned Mixed Use (MU1), which is complemented by the adjacent tourism zoning (TOU1). It is an objective:

• To promote tourism and recreation-based development in the village, particularly developments that complement the natural amenities of the area;

• To regenerate the village through the promotion of new development in the form of employment-generating projects based on the natural amenities of the area and smallscale residential developments.

TOU1 South of Village Centre and Mixed Use Site

This site has been identified as being able to accommodate a wide variety of tourism-related uses, having regard to its location in a highly scenic area, close to Lough Graney. Development on the site is subject to the ability to provide appropriate services on the site. The site shall be developed in a manner that will support the local economy and provide amenities to the area. In particular the following will apply:

• The mature trees on the lands at TOU1 shall be retained and incorporated into any development proposals on the site;

• Development proposals must take into account the highly scenic site location, close to

Lough Graney, the village character and streetscape settings;

• The site must be developed in a manner that will provide amenities to the area and not detract from the amenities of adjoining properties;

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• As this site is located partly within an SPA, any plan or proposal for this site will be subject to appropriate assessment.

Strategy for growth and sustainable communities

The strategy for the sustainable growth of the village and its community is through consolidation and regeneration that promotes compact sequential growth and supports and strengthens a sustainable village community and its rural hinterland. This will be achieved by encouraging small scale growth in areas which make a positive contribution to the overall enhancement of the village and sustains it into the future. In line with this approach and to promote vibrant rural villages, village growth areas have been identified which provide opportunities and choice for development, including small scale commercial, enterprise, community, services/facilities as well as small scale cluster housing, all of which offer a viable and attractive option for rural living within a village community and setting.

Caher’s location on the banks of Lough Graney is an attractive location for those seeking to live in a high quality rural environment.

The delivery of any new development in Caher will be encouraged by adopting a combined approach of sequential compact growth and the re-use and redevelopment of any vacant or derelict sites and buildings within the village.

Place Making and Amenity

Caher has a strong sense of place nestled on the banks of Lough Graney. Open space zoning enhances the setting of the settlement.

OS1

This site has been designated as an area of open space adjoining Lough Graney. Development proposals on these lands must be the subject of screening for appropriate assessment.

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