This article is from page 12 of the 2014-07-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A SPECIAL meeting will take place in Ennis this Friday to determine whether Clare County Council will change the zoning of a section of land in Ennis to allow for the construction of a € 5 million crematorium and large graveyard.
Councillors at yesterday’s July meeting of Clare County Council decided to defer a decision on whether to make a material contravention of Ennis and Environs Development Plan in order to allow the project to go forward.
The project, which has been proposed by Fenloe Properties Ltd, could see the development of a crematorium as well a massive graveyard to accomodate almost 4,000 graves.
Should it go ahead, the project would include the construction of a gated entrance, driveway and carpark, a chapel with ancillary reception, offices and toilets, a furnace, a remembrance and memorial garden and a waste water treatment unit and percolation area at a site at Ballaghfadda on the Kildysart Road in Ennis.
A number of local undertaker, headstone makers and other people involved in the funeral industry in Clare were present at yesterdays meeting.
Indeed, the meeting was adjourned for 10 minutes to allow councillors to consult with industry members before a decision could be made.
It was also confirmed that the proposal could see the creation of as many as 3,827 individual graves. This number would likely be reduced by more than 650 however, as the developers would be prevented from placing graves within a certain distance from local monuments.
“Some of us are not well briefed in this. We are not fully aware of what will happen at this area in the future. This is a big issue and something you cant rush into. I would like a special meeting called next Friday make a decision on it,” said Cllr Joe Cooney (FG).
Cllr Cooney was supported by Ennis based Cllr Pat Daly (FF) who said that the decision was too important to get wrong and that councillors be “fully briefed” on the issue.
A special meeting of Clare County Council will now take place this Friday at 9.30am with the proposed zoning change the only item on the agenda.