*Clare Family Resource Centre’s childcare facility in Ennis
PLANS have been lodged to expand Clare Family Resource Centre’s childcare facility in Ennis, with the proposed extension aimed at creating additional places amid growing demand for services.
The application to Clare County Council seeks permission to construct a detached extension to the existing childcare facility at Watery Road.
The development would provide two new childcare rooms, sleeping accommodation, eating areas, sanitary and nappy changing facilities, together with additional car parking, landscaping and associated site works.
Planning documents state that the Clare Family Resource Centre’s existing childcare facility is operating at full capacity and has a substantial waiting list, with demand for places continuing to increase.
The proposed extension has been designed specifically to increase capacity for children aged between one and three years, an age group identified in the application as experiencing a shortage of childcare places.
The Clare Family Resource Centre is a registered charity established in 1996 to provide community childcare, childcare training and family support services in Clare.
Planning documents state that the organisation’s childcare service takes an inclusive, holistic approach aimed at supporting the economic, social and cultural interests of families in the region.
According to the application, the proposal forms part of the centre’s long-term strategy to respond to increasing demand for childcare services in Ennis while providing modern accommodation designed in line with current childcare regulations and Universal Design principles.
The extension has also been designed to support an application under the Department of Children, Disability and Equality’s Building Blocks Extension Scheme 2027, which aims to increase childcare capacity nationwide, particularly for children aged one to three years.
The proposed building would be located adjacent to the existing childcare facility and connected by a new accessible pedestrian route. It would also include secure outdoor play areas, accessible parking spaces and associated site infrastructure.
Planning documents state that the proposal would make use of adjoining lands owned by Clare County Council, with the local authority’s consent included as part of the application because there is insufficient space to extend the existing childcare building within its current site.
A submission or observation in relation to the application can be made in writing to the planning authority for a prescribed fee of €20.
This must be within five weeks of the authority first receiving the planning application.
The planning application was lodged on July 30, with submissions accepted until Wednesday September 2. A decision is due on September 23.
–Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
