*Save Ennis Town protesting against Ennis 2040 plans for Abbey Street and Harvey’s Quay. CONTROVERSIAL PLANS to develop on public car parks in Abbey Street and Harvey’s Quay (Parnell Street) have been officially scrapped from the Ennis 2040 Strategy along with a mooted boardwalk along The Post Office Field.
*Photograph: Páraic McMahon. PUBLIC consultation will be ramped up as part of a review of the Ennis 2040 plan while the Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Ennis 2040 DAC is likely to remain in the post for the foreseeable future.
*Harvey’s Quay. REFERENCES to paused contentious aspects of the Ennis 2040 strategy will be removed from the final version of the Ennis local transport plan.
*An artist’s impression of the original Abbey St Car Park plans which were paused in March. UNEASE has been expressed at the inclusion of the paused controversial Ennis 2040 developments for Abbey Street and Harvey’s Quay (Parnell Street) in the draft Ennis local transport plan.
*Pat Foudy. Photograph: Natasha Barton NEW DATA analysing the traffic flow on Mill Road and Old Mill Road shows the route proposed to become a one-way system for vehicles and cyclists was used by eleven cyclists (0.2%) over a ten-hour period.
*Photograph: John Mangan ENNIS 2040 DAC has “a role to play” in tackling the shortage of private housing developments in the county town.
*€1.6m was the expenditure on Ennis 2040 in 2023, primarily on three projects, two of which have been paused. A POLICY to maintain proper controls, governance and procedures in Clare County Council as recommended by an external audit has not been implemented and has missed its timeline for completion.
*Ashfield House has been acquired by Ennis 2040 DAC. Photograph: John O’Neill. A FOCUS on housing forms part of the revised vision for Ennis 2040 with Causeway Quarter and Ashfield House central to this along with ongoing land acquisition at Claureen.
*Abbey Street. LACK OF PARKING in Ennis town centre caused further division and debate between elected members in the county town.
*Photograph: Tom Micks THERE IS “no conspiracy” regarding the delay in the Acting Chief Operating Officer of Ennis 2040 DAC addressing a meeting of Clare County Council, a senior local authority official has said.