CLARE County Council has told the Office of Public Works that it will not permit the disposal of effluent from the controversial Burren visitor centre at Mullaghmore at any of its sewage treatment plants.
The council said it would not be "appropriate" to accede to the OPW's plan, given that it had already granted a discharge licence for an effluent treatment plant at the Mullaghmore site, and this had been confirmed by An Bord Pleanala.
The OPW had proposed that treated sewage would be taken off the site for disposal elsewhere "to alleviate the concern" of conservationists that it might contaminate ground water.
An exchange of letters between the OPW and the council, which had sought further information on its plans, was released last night by the Minister for Arts and Culture, Mr Higgins, "to help ensure continued transparency".
In response to the council's request for more information on its planning application for a scaled down visitor centre at Mullaghmore the OPW indicated that it planned to develop another attraction at nearby Corofin.
This would provide an information centre for the Burren National Park comprising audio visual and graphic displays a nature study room for school groups, extra facilities for the Clare Heritage Centre and a park headquarters.
In Kilfenora, where a long established Burren visitor centre is run by a local co operative, the OPW hopes to use the Church of Ireland cathedral to display the monastic and architectural heritage of Kilfenora and its high crosses.
In Ballyvaughan, the operators of three privately owned visitor centres in the village have been asked to accommodate additional interpretative material, supplied by the OPW.
To reduce tourism pressure on the proposed national park entry point at the Mullaghmore site - now officially called Gortalecka - an electronic visitor management system, linked to Corofin, would notify people if it was full.
The OPW's letter to Clare County Council says the entry point would be managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which was satisfied it would not have "any significant adverse impact" on habitats in the area.
The letter says the Minister intends to confirm the Burren National Park management plan if permission is granted for the Gortalecka scheme. If not, he would ask the steering committee to propose amendments.
