This article is from page 36 of the 2008-05-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
CONCERN is mounting over the im- pact construction work in the Parnell Street car park is having on public ENC AA
Town Manager Tom Coughlan told last Wednesday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, that any risk to the public would be examined.
He said ‘I understand that busi- nesses in the area fell discommoded by the work but at the same casual flooding is also having a big impact on the town.
“We would be concerned about public safety in the area and we will get someone to look at it”.
It followed concerns raised in the chamber over the effect work on the
upper section of the Ennis Flood Re- lief scheme is having on businesses on the area.
Independent councillor Frankie Nylon said ‘I would be very worried about customers walking so near a construction site. From what I have heard the traffic situation there is going to get worse. In a few months time, there will be delivery trucks bringing cement and steel. This is at a time when we want to get shoppers into the town”.
Fianna Fail councillor Tom Glynn said, “Several safety issues have been raised and there are merits in looking at the proposals out there”’
It is unlikely though that the Coun- cil will consider allocating areas in the town as temporary taxi ranks
during peak hours.
Town Clerk Eddie Power told the meeting that any such proposal would require the passing of byelaws.
Town Engineer Tom Tiernan said “Unfortunately, you have to break eges if you want to make an ome- lette and unfortunately there has to be an inconvenience. O’Connell Square was found to be unsuitable for a taxi rank. We don’t want to bring that back on ourselves. The biggest inconvenience is that 40% of the parking spaces are compromised for a number of months and for that I do sympathise”.
Fine Gael councillor Johnny Flynn said, “Business people in Parnell Street are paying rates and are loos- ing about 40 car parking spaces. It
is very difficult for them. There are three or four shops in the area that are already talking about closing Keyan ae
Green party councillor Donal O’Bearra said the work had already caused serious environmental dam- age. “The rate of attrition of trees is fairly one way. People put faith in the OPW and it is not unreasonable that they work together with the pub- lic. They hacked down all the trees on one side of the bank. We should write to the OPW to ask what their plans are to protect the trees”.
Town Engineer Tom Tiernan said, following completion of the work, the area would be returned to its original condition “except in an up- graded state”.