This article is from page 2 of the 2007-11-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
THOSE objecting to a planned €10 million retail plan for Miltown Mal- bay are doing so for commercial rea- sons, not planning ones.
That is the view of the promoter of the venture, John Jones, who said yesterday that the opening of the Su- pervalu retail outlet would generate up to 100 jobs for the west Clare vil- lage.
Mr Jones said that not one local resident had objected to the develop- ment, pointing out that the objections to the proposal came from the local business community, with only one
business person being native to the village. Mr Jones said that he could not remember the last time that 100 jobs were created in Miltown Mal- bay. Mr Jones’s plan also includes seven shops, 18 apartments and of- Nene
“Miltown needs something like a Supervalu and it will mean more business for Miltown. People go into Ennis and Limerick to shop, but hav- ing more services in Miltown will make sure that Miltown is a bigger draw for shoppers.”
Mr Jones accused those opposed to the development of being “small minded”’.
He said, “We have had nine pre- planning meetings with the council. The development is only a short dis- tance from the Main Street and will provide 148 spaces for the village.”
Mr Jones said that his family have been operating a business in Miltown since the 1830s.
‘We have a proud tradition here and we are well qualified to be in line to put in a new shop and we should be allowed the opportunity to do it.”
Mr Jones said that he has had a number of phonecalls from local people offering their support for the project. He said that he would start construction work on the project as
soon as planning is secured.
However, Clare County Council has expressed “serious concerns in regard to the height and proximity of the proposed development and its 1m- pact on the adjacent terraced houses to the south”.
The council also states, “notwith- standing the submitted Retail Impact Assessment (RIA), the council has concerns regarding the impact of the overall development on the vitality and viability of the existing retail commercial units currently operat- ing in Miltown Malbay and the effect of the proposed development on the Main Street of the town.”