This article is from page 1 of the 2007-11-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
COUNCIL planners have moved to halt a “rezoning frenzy” in the great- er Ennis area as developers try to re- verse the property market slide.
With builders and investors seek- ing to rezone 1,720 acres around En- nis to residential, commercial and industrial use, County Manager Alec Fleming has backed the planners’ decision to refuse the vast majority of the applications and leave current Zzonings as they are.
As part of the process for finalis- ing a new Ennis development plan, council planners held a series of workshops with local councillors
and after a lot of heated debate, only 100 acres will be rezoned for hous- ing — well short of the 1,247 acres sought by developers.
Not even the Diocese of Killaloe was immune from the clampdown with a blunt refusal being given to an application to have eight acres of prime development land at Bishop Willie Walsh’s Ennis residence re- zoned for mixed-use development.
A second submission from the Di- ocesan Trust seeking the rezoning of a site on Station Road to town centre zoning was also rejected. This prime site incorporates the Old Burren Cin- ema, the Maria Assumpta Hall and the Scout Hall as well as some open
space in front of Ennis Cathedral.
The double refusal came despite the fact that only last month the diocese donated a prime 15-acre develop- ment site valued at over €10 million for the town’s elderly community at Cahercalla in one of the most sought after areas of the town.
The father of former Ennis mayor, Cllr Joe Reidy (FF) also failed to secure a financial windfall when planners rejected an application to have 22 acres zoned to the east of the Clarecastle/Lissane Road. Last year, Damien Reidy stood to make €16 million after councillors rezoned 770 acres outside Clarecastle village.
And while the planners recom-
mended that consideration should be given to the possible rezoning of Cusack Park for mixed use as an ex- tension of the town centre, they con- cluded that as the proposal was not supported by the elected members, Cusack Park should remain as is.
Also ruled out was a rezoning of the Eire Og GAA grounds from club chairman, Patrick Fitzpatrick, who proposed a swap with the Ennis Na- tional School. However, a letter was subsequently received from the club president, stating that the proposal had not been approved by the execu- tive committee and the council rec- ommended that no change be made to the zoning of Eire Og.