Moy

Moy

Location and Context

Moy is situated south of Lahinch and is approximately 1 kilometre east of the N67. The Village is situated within a landscape characterised by coastal plateau and farmland gently sloping towards the coast with some extensive views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Moy is a small settlement consisting of a church, graveyard, school and community centre and has experienced limited growth in recent years. Development has generally been focused around the school and community centre which provides a potential focus for growth in terms of establishing a village centre. The Village is not currently served by public transport. There is a need to ensure pedestrian connectivity to existing facilities within the Village including the provision of a public footpath.

The strategy for Moy is to encourage small-scale incremental residential growth that will be reflective of the rural nature of the settlement. Also, proposals for any suitably-scaled and appropriate commercial or employment-generating development will be encouraged.

Moy is served by a public water scheme but has no public wastewater treatment infrastructure. Any future development including alterations to existing commercial or employment generating development will require private wastewater treatment subject to suitable site-specific conditions and must ensure they are in compliance with the EPA Code of Practice for On Site Wastewater Treatment Systems. The Natura Impact Report accompanying this plan (Volume 10a) provides relevant mitigation measures and recommendations at site and project level.

General Objectives:

• To make provision for the sustainable growth of the Village which will support existing services and encourage further expansion of the service base, whilst retaining its rural character; • To support the provision of infrastructure to allow for future growth of the Village; and • To improve the footpath network in the Village, in particular connecting existing residential development to the national school and community centre.

Employment and Enterprise

Agriculture remains an important part of the local economy in the smaller settlements around the County. In order to support economic development, the Council will facilitate and encourage farm enterprise and agri-tourism in Moy. The Council will also encourage homebased economic activity where feasible. Proximity to Lahinch provides employment opportunities within short commuting distance.

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ENT1 Former Creamery

This site is zoned to accommodate small-scale rural enterprise with a view to providing an opportunity for local-level employment creation. Future enterprise development on this site must be of a scale which is reflective of the rural nature of the area. The capacity of the local road network to accommodate additional traffic generated by development and the ability to provide suitable on-site wastewater treatment will be key considerations in the assessment of proposals for this site.

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 offers a viable and attractive option for rural living within a village community and setting.

The mature trees and hedgerows associated with these areas shall be retained as part of any future development as foraging and commuting routes for bats and as ecological corridors for wider biodiversity benefits.

VGA1 East of the Village and VGA2 & VGA3 West of the Village

As Moy is served by a public water scheme but has no public wastewater scheme the EPA Code of Practice for Wastewater Treatment Systems must be strictly adhered to in order to ensure no significant long term effects on groundwaters or surface waters in the area.

Place Making and Amenity

There are several vacant buildings in the Village including the former Creamery to the south. The reuse, redevelopment, or enhancement of these is encouraged as a means of regenerating the Village Centre and promoting sustainable development. There is a need to ensure pedestrian connectivity to existing facilities within the Village including the provision of a public footpath.

In addition, the incorporation of green features into public realm and other developments as well as the greening of public spaces will also enhance the overall amenity of the Village and help to mitigate against climate change.

It is an objective of the Plan:

__________________________________________________________________________________ Draft Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029

• To support the enhancement and development of public spaces and the overall amenity of the Village.

Flooding and Flood Risk

The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Volume in 10(c) of this Plan advises that a steep watercourse runs to the south of the settlement alongside lands zoned for proposed residential development. The proposed residential zoning can be developed, provided that building footprints are located within Flood Zone C. Thresholds should be set a minimum of 0.5m above the bank top height.

__________________________________________________________________________________ Draft Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029