This article is from page 11 of the 2007-08-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
A PLANNING dispute between two rival taxi firms has resulted in Ennis Town Council refusing planning per- mission to Ennis Cabs to retain a cab office in Market Street, after AAA Cabs objected to the proposal.
As far back as 2000, a planning application was lodged to retain the use of the premises at the corner of Barrack Street and the market from retail to a cab office. However, the application was refused and An Bord Pleanala upheld the decision result- ing in the council serving a warning RK meme semen silo
A subsequent application was lodged in 2001 to change the use from retail outlet to taxi control station and this was again refused in April 2001. In 2002, the council eranted 12-month planning permis- sion to retain the use of the cab of- fice as a taxi dispatch office. In 2003, the taxi office managed to remain operational after securing a further two-year temporary planning per- mission. Last year, two separate ap- plications for retention were refused to continue to retain the office as a taxi office.
On behalf of the current applicant, Frank Gleichman, consultants, P Coleman & Associates pointed out
“that between the hours of 9am and 6pm, the office will be closed to the general public. There will be no ac- cess to the premises except for a sin- gle member of staff who will operate a telephone-radio dispatch office”.
However, Martin White, John Longe and Tony Woods from rival firm, AAA Taxis called on the coun- cil to shut down the operation at its current location.
In the objection, they stated, “When the taxi rank was moved to Parnell Street car park, all taxi oper- ators were to operate from that rank. We object to Ennis Cabs being given preferential treatment and strongly contend that the firm must use the aforementioned rank like other taxi operators do.
“We request that you give favour- able consideration to this objection.”
In its decision, the council stated that the proposed retention of the dispatch office by virtue of associ- ated haphazard parking and traffic movements would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard and obstruct road users at a busy junction of the market with Barrack St and would not be in the interest of proper planning and orderly development.
Mr Gleichman now has the option of appealing the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanala.