This article is from page 2 of the 2007-09-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
IN A BLOW to the Clare County Board’s plans to move out of Cusack Park to a purpose-built 42 ,000-seater Stadium, councillors from the Ennis area have decided not to rezone the existing ground for mixed-use devel- opment.
The rezoning of the park for com- mercial and residential uses is vital for the move to go through.
It is understood that one of the country’s most successful builders, Lisdoonvarna man Bernard McNa- mara of Michael McNamara and Company, and local developers, Sean Lyne and Noel Connellan, are the
GAA’s preferred bidders to exchange Cusack Park for the new stadium on the Quin Road in Ennis.
However, their €30 million pro- posal involves constructing a shop- ping centre on the site of Cusack Park which would require its rezon- ing into commercial use.
In January of last year, when the consortium announced its plans, a spokesman pointed out, “Planning permission for the construction of the new stadium in the Quin Road area and a shopping centre at the ex- isting Cusack Park is required before the proposal can be implemented.”
However, Cllr Frankie Neylon confirmed yesterday that council-
lors from the Ennis area were of the view that Cusack Park should not be rezoned. The item came up for dis- cussion through the review of sub- missions for the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.
The County Board did not make a Submission. Instead, the discussion arose from a submission from Paul O’Sullivan of Maddens_ Terrace, Clarecastle.
In his submission, Mr O’Sullivan said that Cusack Park should be re- tained as a people’s park.
Cllr Neylon, who has been a vocal opponent of the County Board plant to sell off the site to developers, said that the decision by councillors not
to rezone the park was unanimous.
He said, “It was made very clear at the meeting by the elected members that the park should stay as 1s.”
Cllr Neylon added, “I am still of the view that Cusack Park 1s part-owned by the people of Ennis.”
It is understood that the issue was discussed over two meetings as coun- cillors were anxious that their in- structions to planning officials ruled out the possibility of commercial use of the property.
It will still be open to the GAA to make a submission on the future use of the park when the draft Ennis and Environs Development Plan is pub- lished shortly.