Trump Doonbeg says it cannot restore favourable conservation status of rare snail
Gordon Deegan
The operator of the US President Donald Trump-owned Trump Doonbeg luxury golf resort in west Clare has stated that it is beyond its control to restore the favourable conservation status of the tiny EU protected snail, Vertigo Angustior, on site.
The claim is contained in a first-party appeal lodged by the Trump Doonbeg firm, TIGL Ireland Enterprises Ltd, to An Coimisúin Pleanála against a planning condition concerning the tiny whorl snail attached to the planning permission for a new ballroom.
In February, Clare County Council gave the planning green light for the ballroom but on condition that, prior to work starting, Trump Doonbeg must submit a Vertigo Angustior Management Plan to the Council to include conservation management actions to restore the favourable status of the Vertigo Angustior on the Trump Doonbeg lands.
However, Trump Doonbeg is now contesting the condition. In the extensive first party appeal, planning consultants for Trump Doonbeg, CSR Land Planning and Design state “it is not within our client’s control to restore favourable status of this protected species (Vertigo Angustior).”
Director at CSR, Eamonn Prenter states that it could be contended that the Vertigo Angustior has not historically achieved favourable conservation status on the site largely due to natural processes such as marine erosion.
The appeal states that monitoring data since 2020 demonstrates a significant decline in both the distribution and population levels of the Vertigo Angustior at the site and as a result, three of the four criteria required to demonstrate the snail’s favourable status were not met in the 2024/25 monitoring period.
The four criteria are a presence in four maritime grasslands; population counts of 20 or more snails in at least two maritime samples; a distribution range of 3km2 and positive future prospects.
Prenter states that evidence for the decline of the snail within coastal systems points to natural reasons rather than any man-made activity.
He states that “accepting this, it is highly unlikely that favourable conservation status for Vertigo Angustior could be achieved on site”.
The appeal argues that such an onerous conditions concerning the snail “is not achievable in its current form as it goes beyond what was reasonably anticipated by both the (Council) planning officer and the Environmental Assessment Officer.”
The Trump Doonbeg appeal states that it is seeking the change of just two words in the condition concerning the Vertigo Angustior where the words ‘restore favourable’ conservation status would be replaced by ‘support the’ conservation status of the snail.
Prenter states that he believes that the amendment on Condition 2 and connected amendment in Condition 4 will find support from the Council and NPWS when they do make their submissions to ACP on the appeal.
The appeal states that "brief and informal discussions with NPWS would indicate that they are accepting in principle of the proposed rewording”.
Prenter states that NPWS will concur that the current wording “is overly onerous and likely to represent an unachievable requirement by our client”.
The application was already before ACP after objector, Liam Madden of Convent Rd, Longford lodged a third party appeal urging the commission to “please refuse this nonsense”.
ACP is due to make a decision in the case in July.
