This article is from page 12 of the 2013-10-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE proposal to build a primary retail park on the grounds of the former Ennis National School site has met with more objections.
Local residents to the site on the Kilrush road have already raised concerns a potential shopping park would have on traffic and parking and now a potential local election candidate said he also objects to such a development.
Eoin Neylon is a member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive and possible candidate for Ennis in the next local election.
This week he said he would oppose the development describing it as “short-sighted, unsustainable development”.
“Already in Ennis we see vacant retail space on almost every street in the town centre. The short-term job boost during the construction phase of any proposed retail outlet would be counter-balanced in job loses in the retail sector in the heart of the town and would ultimately lead to stagnation in the development of our high streets. This exact series of events has played out in several towns across the country over the past 15 years and we should not aim to add Ennis to that list,” he said.
He said the business owners in the town centre are being given very little support whilst being asked to pay “a massive price on the road to recovery”.
“The last thing they now need is a white elephant retail development in the town which would be the death knell for many shops. What these shops need is financial certainty going forward and a commitment from incoming councillors after the May elections that the rates will not be increased. If the bureaucratic boot is taken off their neck, and the uncertainty removed, some of these businesses will have the space to thrive and could in fact increase their staffing levels, which would be a further boost to the local economy.”
He suggested the site be used to provide a car park for the town.
“What shoppers need is a greater number of parking spaces to shop in the town centre and this site may be ideal for this purpose. There’s also a need for a more central people’s park where people can go and sit out when looking for a break. The good weather this summer highlighted the lack of such a facility and either the Ennis National School site or the Post Office field could be very useful in this regard,” he said.
Ennis Town Council has already had discussions with landowners so “a master plan can be prepared for its development with the objective of completing the planning process at an early stage to ensure that the redevelopment of the site as a primary retail area can be progressed immediately on the relocation”.
Ennis Parish is among the bodies that have shown its support for a project and even suggested extending the town boundary to take in the Kilrush Road site.