This article is from page 20 of the 2008-07-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 20 JPG
ENNIS Town Council’s ban on new housing development because of the poor sewerage infrastructure has claimed its latest victim.
More worryingly for developers, the latest refusal 1s for a relatively small development of only 26 houses. Pre- vious refusals related to projects in excess of 100, 200 and 400 residen- tial units.
The situation is expected to contin- ue for another four years at least until anew €75 million sewage treatment plant is commissioned at Clareabbey. The timescale for the plant was an- nounced prior to recent speculation on Government cutbacks.
The plan by Mairead Murphy for 26 homes at Claureen on the La- hinch Road was refused after the Council ruled that “the development would be premature by reason of an
existing deficiency in the provision of sewerage facilities and the period within which the constraint may be expected to cease”.
In an internal memo, Town En- gineer, Tom Tiernan said his main concern over the application relates to the capacity of the main sewerage treatment plant at Clonroadmore.
‘The capacity of this plant has been evolving as an issue for some time and this stage, it has been determined
that it is stretched to the extent that it would be inappropriate to approve any further significant developments which would be dependent on it.
“Given that the new plant at Clare- abbey will not now materialise until 2012 at least, the concept of an in- terim upgrade of the existing plant to accommodate envisaged require- ments over the next five years or so is feasible at a cost of between €1.2 million and €1.5 million.
“Tf this conclusion 1s confirmed, the only means of funding the upgrade works will be in association with prospective development which will be approved via the planning process with any funding to be levied under the council’s approved contribution scheme”’.
The Claureen development was op- posed by residents associations from the Brookville and Dun na hiInse housing estates.