Blake’s Corner proposals sought

THE development of a new junction at Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon does not look likely to happen in the near future, it emerged this week.
Plans to demolish two buildings, Blake’s and Linnane’s, which form the corner linking Ennistymon’s main thoroughfare with the road to Lahinch, have proved controversial.
Clare County Council had purchased the buildings and planned to knock them to make the junction safer.
Save Ennistymon’s Heritage, whose mission is to preserve and maintain the heritage, history and integrity of the town, has campaigned against the demolition and has attempted to raise awareness of the two buildings, which it claims date back to 1830.
Now, it seems, the council is asking those who want to see the buildings preserved to follow up with detailed proposals.
Councillor Martin Conway requested an update on what progress had been made on the corner at Monday’s meeting of North Clare Area Councillors and was given a written response. It stated the council is in discussion with both the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government and the National Roads Authority “with a view to establishing the best way forward in terms of the public consultation process and the many issues to be resolved”.
“Clare County Council acknowledges that it is a complex matter involving a large number of issues. However, every effort must be made to give due consideration for all options and to ensure that the proposed works can proceed, while at the same time not adversely affecting the two protected structures.”
Issues relating to the corner were discussed during a private briefing before the public area meeting. “This is a very complex and detailed problem,” Councillor Conway told The Clare Champion afterwards.
“On one side, you have to achieve certain site distances and measurements to create a junction that is safe from a pedestrian and vehicular point of view. On the other side, you are talking about listed, protected structures and they are iconic buildings. Ennistymon is famous for its shop fronts and these two have been photographed extensively and have epitomised this. Obviously, you want to protect that and make the junction safe,” he continued.
The Fine Gael councillor said the council is willing to look at a number of options.
“With regard to the approaches that have been made to me in relation to this, I put it to the director of services that we should at least look at other options. She said ‘certainly’ and if they are viable and workable, the council will make a submission to the Department of Environment to do that. Then it has to go through the Part VIII process and then public tender,” he claimed.
“What I am calling on people to do if there is anyone out there, be they groups or individuals, if they have a solution to this complex and technical problem to make their case to the roads section of Clare County Council and include as much detail as possible. I am encouraging people to make these available and the director is willing to look at them. If people believe the buildings can be preserved and will put their thoughts on paper with detailed costings, how the council can be indemnified if it goes wrong and engineering reports, it will be considered,” Councillor Conway said.
“The worse thing that can happen is nothing because the buildings will collapse and worse, someone could end up seriously injured or killed at that junction. I think there should be a compromise there, so long as it doesn’t compromise road safety, as that is paramount,” he concluded.