CLARE County Council has signalled the green light for the construction of a new railway museum building in Moyasta.

Jackie Whelan has been given the go-ahead by the planning authority to construct a new museum building, incorporating a café and toilets, a reed-bed waste disposal system connected to a water tank, a railway crossing and pedestrian crossing of the N67, bus pull-in, car park and pathway, footbridge, laying of rail tracks and other associated site works, subject to 30 planning conditions.

Speaking to The Clare Champion, Mr Whelan said he was delighted that the council had granted his development planning permission.

The West Clare businessman wondered if the West Clare Railway would become the first private company to carry out traffic-calming measures on a public road in Moyasta.

Although one of the planning conditions seeks a planning contribution of €60,000 towards the provision of traffic-calming measures along the N67, if they can’t be implemented by the applicant, Mr Whelan confirmed he would be putting the necessary measures in place at a fraction of this cost with the consent of the local authority.

He said that any of the new works he completed would have to comply with the Railway Safety Commission and the council, who he pledged to continue working with to ensure he complied with all the necessary regulations.

A 60 kilometres per hour maximum national road speed limit currently applies in this area.

Prior to the start of this development, the authority also stipulated that Mr Whelan must submit traffic and speed counts, which have to be taken during the peak season for the authority’s agreement and approval.

He also has to pay a financial contribution of €11,554 to the council, in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting the development.

All the recommendations contained in the Traffic and Transport Statement and Road Safety Audit, which the developer submitted to the council on May 22 and September 2 last, have to be implemented by him at his own expense, prior to the operation of the development.

He also has to submit details concerning the provision of no-parking road markings and hatching in the sight line zone to the north of the Station House access road.

In addition to these requirements, he also has to submit details concerning the proposed pedestrian crossing, which has to include a signage scheme to warn the motorist, pedestrian and cyclist of the proposed level and pedestrian crossing.