Islanders welcome decision to reject glamping plans

Residents on Inishbofin have welcomed the refusal of planning permission for an upmarket camping site on the island – planners have ruled that it would have an adverse impact on wildlife habitats in the area.

It was proposed to develop 14 glamping pods, which would have the capacity to accommodate around 100 visitors at any one time, at Knock, Inishbofin.

The plan was to provide the glamping pods, a reception area, a toilet block and a wastewater treatment system at a location close to Drumhach Beach.

But the plans attracted a total of 37 objections, mainly from residents both on and off the island, on the grounds that it would have a negative impact on wildlife, particularly the Corncrake, as well as it being unsightly at this particular location.

Inishbofin Tourism Committee, An Taisce and a number of island accommodation providers were also among the objectors.

And there were suggestion that the proposed glamping development at Knock, Inishbofin, would attract a certain element that would dissuade the more traditional visitor from coming to the island.

The applicants, Bofin Glamping Limited, stated that they wanted to provide “a unique holiday or short-stay” experience for visitors by providing a high standard of accommodation.

They stated that they are fully aware of the sensitivity of the landscape on ‘Bofin and wish to make as little impact as possible on the environment.

According to their submission, the pods are portable timber-framed accommodation to domestic house standards with insulation that keeps them warm in any conditions.

Bofin Glamping Limited was established earlier this year by Paddy Mullin and John Adams who work for the locally run ferry service Island Discovery. Paddy is a crewman and relief skipper while John also runs The Harbour Shop on the island.

However, Galway County Council ruled that the site for the glamping pods was protected under the EU Habitats Directive. The development, they said, would result in the permanent loss of the Machair wildlife habitat.

The planning authority were also not satisfied that the safe disposal of domestic effluent can be achieved on site and this would pose an unacceptable risk to surface waters and the flora and fauna of the area.

It was also stated that the development would be incapable of satisfactorily assimilating into this rural landscape and would have a detrimental effect on this coastal setting.

In their submission, Inishbofin Tourism Committee say that the application listed only five accommodation providers on the island when, in fact, there are 263 existing beds available for tourist purposes.

“A plan that tries to prove demand for accommodation on the island while at the same time does not even include over half the beds in the whole tourism sector, is a plan not worth considering due to this serious misrepresentation of the facts”.

They went on to say that it would ruin this very scenic part of the island and would have a negative impact on Drumhach Beach – a Green Coast Award recipient.

“The constant pollution, noise, movement, lighting and general activity from this amount of people would be devastating for the area”, the tourism group contended.

The decision is likely to be appealed to An Bord Pleanala.