This article is from page 17 of the 2005-11-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
PLANS for a €50 million retail park on the out- skirts of Ennis are facing opposition from An Taisce and local residents, although Ennis Cham- ber of Commerce 1s 1n support.
Next Friday, Ennis Town Council is due to make a decision on contentious plans by Michael Lynch Ltd for a retail park adjacent to the Limerick-Gal- way road.
According to the Environmental Impact State- ment (EIS) lodged with the planning application at the end of last year, the development will provide 250 jobs when operational, while 150 people will be employed during construction.
The 15,000 square metre development is to comprise a retail superstore and seven retail ware- house units. A retail impact assessment concluded that “the development will not adversely affect the viability and vitality of Ennis town centre or the local economy”.
However, An Taisce has expressed “serious con- cerns with regard to environmental sustainability”, while RGDATA, which represents independent traders, has urged the council to refuse planning permission to avoid any potential damage.
Director, Tara Buckley, has told the council, ‘The development is divorced from the town cen- tre and it is inappropriate for town centre retail activities. It would result in the removal of vital and essential convenience floorspace from the town centre”.
And residents from Clare Road, Tobarteascain, Carraig Dubh, Connolly Villas, Abbey Court and Abbey Ville have grouped together to lodge an ob- jection to the proposal.
In their most recent submission, drafted by plan- ning consultant, Brendan McGrath, they claim that “no additional information has been submitted or design amendment proposed that adequately ad- dress the serious shortcominings of this develop- ment proposal”.
Residents also claim that the proposal does not comply with the Ennis and Environs Development
Plan 2003 and will cause a traffic hazard.
They further claim that the development would seriously affect the amenity of adjacent residential Auer
“In our view, the development proposal is so different from that proposed in the Ennis and En- virons Development that it represents a material contravention of the plan,” they state.