CONCERN IS GROWING for pedestrians attempting the access Clonroad Business Park while memories of current councillors playing soccer has left the Mayor of Ennis with “a bad vision”.
An argument on an “urgently needed” new footpath at the entrance to the Clonroad Business Park in Ennis was put forward by Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF). He said “high pedestrian volume to and from the adult education campus, Enable Ireland and other businesses” strengthened the bid, he believed.
Cllr O’Callaghan felt a new roundabout was justified “because of increased traffic from Dunnes, glór, Clonroad plus the Clonroad Business Park and now a new library. This is a very busy juncture that certainly requires a traffic management review in my opinion,” he stated.
Need for a new pedestrian walkway to the Business Park was acknowledged by staff within the Ennis Municipal District. Acting senior executive engineer, Paddy Tiernan outlined, “the project was put forward to the NTA for Active Travel funding in late 2022. Unfortunately the recent funding announcement by the NTA has confirmed our application was unsuccessful. Ennis MD will continue to investigate alternative funding sources and have recently completed a survey of the area with a view to getting the project ‘shovel ready’. This will strengthen any future application”.
Consultants are to be procured by Clare County Council to prepare a local transport plan (LTP) for Ennis town, Conor McDonagh an executive engineer within the Active Travel unit explained. “This LTP is to be prepared in accordance with the Area Based Transport Assessment (ABTA) guidelines published by the National Transport Authority (NTA). Any alterations to the existing transport arrangements – including the road network – within the town will be dependent on the outcome of this process”.
Speaking at the March meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr O’Callaghan detailed that the Clonroad Business Park was “becoming an extremely busy stretch”. He added, “it was brought to my attention that they are concerned about pedestrians coming in and out because there is a safe path system. We’re looking for funding and that is where the problem is, we need to see where possibly the long-term strategy is proposed. When it comes to a footpath as busy as this, we need to get something. It needs to be brought to the fore as a priority”.
An area outside of Meadow Court was “set aside for the upgrade of the roundabout and footpath,” Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said when seconding the proposal. “The green area outside the Meadow Court houses has plenty of room. I fully support this as long as it fits into design for long-term investment”.
Both Cllr Mary Howard (FG) and Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) concluded that it was “a very busy” and “busy” spot.
Adding a new footpath was backed by Cllr Pat Daly (FF). “There is a lot of traffic going in and out”. He recalled playing soccer against Cllr Flynn on the green area in decades gone by to which the Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) remarked, “I can see you in your soccer outfits now, I’m having a bad vision”.
