This article is from page 20 of the 2012-02-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 20 JPG
ENNIS Chamber and Ennis Development Forum are to host a meeting for businesses and interested parties regarding the proposed Clare Road Development on Monday, February 27, from 6.15pm to 7.15pm in the Old Ground Hotel, O’Connell Street, Ennis. The proposed development for a 70,000ft shopping unit, which was refused planning by Ennis Town Council in January, is being appealed by the developers to An Bord Pleanala.
Organisers say that the purpose of the meeting on Monday evening is to inform the business community and others of the appeal process to An Bord Pleanála which has a closing date of Friday, March 2, for acceptance of submissions. All businesses are encouraged to attend.
Ennis Town Council refused planning permission to Michael Lynch Ltd for the five-hectare development at Clare Road, Tobertascáin.
Michael Lynch Ltd had sought permission for the (1) Demolition of all structures on site including five residential units, office block and all ancillary buildings; (2) Provision of a public plaza fronting on to the Limerick Road including both soft and hard landscaping; (3) A retail development including a food store incorporating customer restaurant and cafe, off licence sales area, dot com area and storage service area; (4) Separate ancillary two-storey retail and office block, a standalone two-storey office block, 610 parking spaces, provision for cycle parking, trolley bays and vehicular access to and from the Tobarteascain Road.
The developers had said the project would create 300 jobs in construction and between 180 and 200 permanent jobs.
However objectors, including town centre businesses, argued that the de- velopment would have a “significantly detrimental effect on town centre retail” and lead to a “decreased viability of the town centre”.
In its decision, the council deemed that the proposal is premature pending the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant at Clareabbey and pending the implementation of the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme.
The council also cited changes in the Planning and Development Act 2010.