Shannon

THERE was little optimism about the future development of a new town centre in Shannon, as councillors discussed the matter on Tuesday.

AN audit of access around the town of Shannon is to be carried out by learning disabled researchers over the next few months.The initiative was launched at the Town Hall on Wednesday and research coordinator Rob Hopkins said it would seek to look at things from the point of view of people who have disabilities and other problems with access. “We have people with physical disability, people with temporary disabilities, people with learning disabilities who also have physical disabilities, parents and toddlers, there’s a range of people with access issues. It’s only when you start looking that they emerge and it’s only when you’re put in a difficult situation that these things start to emerge.”He said it is not intended toembarrass anyone through the audit. “We don’t want to name and shame anyone, we just want to provide a service. People who are themselves experiencing access problems will know best, we’re coming from that premise. They will be able to …

SHANNON Leisure Centre is set to reopen on July 3, nearly a year and a half after it closed for refurbishment. A campaign has been running for some weeks seeking the reopening of the facility, which closed in January 2009. At the time it was due to reopen 21 weeks later, but a dispute arose with the contractor causing a long delay and leaving staff out of work.The facility will include a 25 metre swimming pool, gymnasium, skateboard park, climbing wall, two sports halls, a dance studio, floodlit outdoor tennis courts and a café. Details of the reopening were announced in a press release from the Leisure Centre’s board last Monday, which stated the reopening would result in the creation of 18 jobs. However, this figure ignores the fact that a similar amount of workers have been out of work since the closure.Councillor Patricia McCarthy said that the facility would be a valuable facility for the community. “The Shannon Swimming …

AN oral hearing into objections to the extinguishment of the right of way at Tullyglass lowlands to facilitate the provision of affordable housing at Cluain Airne has found that Clare County Council should proceed with the extinguishment.Large numbers protested against the closure of the right of way last summer, while the affordable housing development has been controversial for some time.The oral hearing was conducted by Tom Enright of Limerick County Council. In his report he noticed that some of the objections received actually related to the housing development, rather than to the extinguishment of the right of way. “Many of the written objections and those outlined at the oral hearing pertain to the proposed housing development itself and the process followed in approving the planning for the housing development. I understand that the proposed housing scheme is consistent with Clare County Council’s Housing Strategy 2007-11 and will provide modern, affordable housing to qualified applicants at this location.“While the housing development …

SHANNON is about to get a jobs boost after Crosman Corporation announced that it will be opening a new European distribution centre in the town next month.

A CROWD of more than 100 people protested outside Shannon Town Council’s March meeting on Monday night, demanding information on why the local leisure centre has been closed for over a year.

JUST shy of €55,000 was paid to elected members of Shannon Town Council in 2009.

A PROTEST is planned for Shannon Town Council’s next meeting, against the continued closure of the local leisure centre.