The rezoning of 45 acres of open countryside for residential housing on the outskirts of Ennis has been approved at a meeting of Clare County Council.
Mr Graham Webb, the council's senior executive planner hit out at what he called "random rezoning" by the councillors.
He had stated in a report to the council that the rezoning was in conflict with the objectives of the Ennis Development Plan which focuses on residential growth where services and infrastructure can be provided.
Local residents also came out strongly against the rezoning proposal.
The council planner pointed out that indiscriminate residential development undermines the ability of the plan to bring forward the provision of housing and local facilities and services together.
Mr Webb also stated that the proposed rezoning "generally undermines the sustainability objectives of the County Development Plan".
At the meeting, the council's head of planning, Mr Ger Dollard recommended to the councillors that they reverse their initial decision to rezone. However, councillors voted 18 for the rezoning, with four abstaining and three voting against.
A moment of levity entered the proceedings when Fianna Fáil councillor, Mr Sean Hillery voted with the planners by mistake much to the amusement of his party colleagues who all voted against the planner's recommendation.
One of the councillors who voted in favour of the planner's recommendation not to rezone, Cllr Patricia McCarthy, said yesterday that she had taken on board the views of the planner and stated that the overall plan was not in the best interests of Ennis.
Green party Ennis Town Councillor, Donal O'Bearra last night described the councillors' decision as the "height of folly".
Cllr O'Bearra was unable to vote on the rezoning because the subject lands were outside the Ennis Town Council boundary.
However, he said: "It is a foolish decision. The decision by councillors ignores the common good. A lot of public money has been spent on expert's views on the plan and these have been ignored. I don't what kind of signal this sends out because we are talking about a lot of houses here."
He added: "This rezoning was done for the wrong reasons, they were not planning reasons and it is not in the interest of the public interest. There should be some mechanism that would vet such decisions because a rezoning like this flies in the face of the objectives of the County Development Plan and the National Spatial Strategy."
Following the councillors' decision, the 2003 Ennis and Environs Development Plan was formally adopted after a two year public consultation process and comes into law within four weeks.
