*Photograph: John O’Neill.
ENNIS’ Road to Nowhere which has remained undeveloped for seven years is stopping the development of up to 260 homes.
Lands have been sterilised from development with the failure to complete the Ennis North Inner Relief Road which would link the Gort Rd and the Tulla Rd.
A meeting with the Department of Transport has been sought by Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) to try progress the development of the road.
Originally, it was intended that the Inner Relief Road would link the R458 Gort Road to Oakleigh Wood and The Maples Distributor Road and onwards to the Cappahard and Roslevan Roundabouts on the R352 Tulla Road.
There has been no progress on the road since 2018 when phase one, comprising a 520m road link from the Gort Road to the Clare Technology Park, was officially opened. The road had laid idle for up to eight years prior to this with €4m spent on the project. From the beginning of the existing built road which ends at the Clare Technology Park is in part Council ownership.
It has been included in several County Development Plans as an “infrastructure safeguard” and according to the Mayor is “a vital part” of the draft Ennis local transport plan as an emerging preferred strategy. She stated, “Especially pertinent in a housing crisis is the fact that it cuts through residential zoned lands impeding the development of same for the benefit of the people of Ennis and County Clare”.
In excess of one hectare is the footprint of the proposed link road which Colleran Molloy noted “has been essentially sterilised from development via its designation as an infrastructure safeguard”.
Access to an approximate 7.5 hectares of zoned residential lands have been cut off for one developer which would have the potential to accommodate in the region of 260 houses based on the metrics of thirty five units per hectare as set out in the County Development Plan, Clare flagged. “This area is also sterilised from development as it cannot be accessed without the road. Since access to the land is limited by the non-development of this road, request is being made by the developer to have these lands exempted from Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT)”.
Senior engineer with the Council, Cyril Feeney explained the route was included in the draft Ennis local transport plan and “will not be without its delivery challenges”. Its position adjacent to the Ballyalla Lough Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) “may considerably constrain the engineering design options for the proposed route. In addition, the railway line will have to be traversed involving a significant increase in road elevation and will require consideration of likely noise and air quality impacts on local residents”.
He said the Council was committed to the delivery of the project, the first step of which is the local transport plan for which public consultation is underway. When this is finalised “in the coming months” a meeting with Department officials can be arranged, he stated.
There is no need to wait months to organise this meeting, Cllr Colleran Molloy stressed, “I am not accepting this needs to wait, you could start discussions now to have things in motion”. She flagged that local authorities have been told by Housing Minister James Browne (FF) “get houses built on zoned lands or get them zoned” and here is a situation where “a building is coming into Clare County Council asking for an exemption to build on zoned land, how stupid is that, we’re saying we won’t help but I’m saying we have to”. She continued, “this road is sterilising lands which could build 260 houses tomorrow”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) said a multi-tier approach is needed by the Council with planning, finance and roads departments all on the same page.
“It is known locally as the road to nowhere and it is going nowhere,” Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) remarked. Government proposals on housing have been highlighted as “stupid” he claimed by his party colleague Eoin Ó Broin (SF). “I welcome all the motions here today putting the boot into the national government by members of the government parties, the national government is destroying every prospect we have of turning this housing crisis around so please continue to put the boot in”.
Assistance is needed for developers, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) felt, “Developers are there, their job is to develop and if they don’t then they are not getting income and we’re not getting housing”.
Completion of the local transport plan “will put everything on stronger ground,” Director of Physical Development, Alan Farrell said. “The overall scheme is looking at housing and infrastructure, we will look at this, we are suggesting to wait until the plan is done”.
