€4m funding boost announced for Clare county town

CLARE County Council has been granted a sum of just over €4 million towards the Ennis Town Centre Public Realm Regeneration project, writes Owen Ryan.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien announced that Ennis was among the successful applicants under the State’s Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which is intended to drive regeneration and rejuvenation of strategic and under-utilised areas in cities and large towns.

In Ennis it will see works at O’Connell Square, High Street, Bank Place, Barrack Street and Old Barrack Square, with an overall cost of €5,390,391. The URDF funding comes to €4,042,793 with Clare County Council financing the remainder.

In O’Connell Square, High Street and Bank Place there will be civic space and public realm enhancements including traffic calming, resurfacing, provision of upgraded street furniture and planting.

The Barrack Street and Barrack Square area will see traffic calming, planting of street trees, public artwork, the provision of distinctive street furniture and lighting and a canopy structure as a central feature.

O’Connell Street will see connectivity to the new civic areas at O’Connell Square and Barrack Street, along with the provision of street furniture, lighting and the installation of trees.

Councillor Paul Murphy, Mayor of Ennis Municipal District, said, “The planned upgrade of these key Town Centre locations is a very welcome development. I believe that Clare County Council’s proposed plan will deliver a new vibrant town centre that will benefit residents, business and visitors for many years to come.

“For Barrack Square and Old Barrack Street the project will develop the area as a ‘café quarter’ and will deliver a higher-quality civic space, where people are attracted to meet, relax and enjoy the ambience while availing of the local retail opportunities.

“The rejuvenated space will not only benefit from the footfall in the surrounding streets but will become a destination, attracting its own footfall.

“The works to O’Connell Square, High Street and O’Connell Street will also increase footfall by making the spaces more attractive to pedestrians, through the provision of an enhanced expanded plaza, with seating and planting.

“An interactive pavement fountain will add to its unique appeal and form part of the visitor experiences. Works to the public realm will make the area more attractive and deliver universal access, supporting the area as the focal point of the town and commercial activity.”

Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, said: “The upgrade of the public realm in Ennis has been a long-standing objective of Clare County Council and this funding, along with the Parnell Street, Laneways and Bow-ways project, represents a significant investment for the town of Ennis.”

Mr Dowling said that as a result of this investment the town will be a safer and more attractive environment for pedestrians with spaces that can also have a civic function.

It will, he said, help promote the town centre as a destination, improving its vitality and enabling Ennis to capitalise on its existing assets.

Leonore O’Neill, Senior Executive Officer and Project Manager for the Ennis Town Centre Public Realm Programme, said, “The key features of the project include shared surface treatment, widened footpaths, high-quality surface materials with improved street furniture, lighting and signage, street trees, canopy structures, and an interactive pavement fountain.

“The design development for the project has been informed through a process of public consultation, stakeholder engagement and technical design studies and the proposals at the Height and Barrack Square areas have secured Part 8 planning permission.”

In a statement Ennis Chamber welcomed the allocation and expressed hope about what the investment could do for the town.

“Ennis Chamber members participated in the public consultation meetings organised by Ennis Municipal District around planned works for Barrack Street, Barrack Square, O’Connell Square and Bank Place, and in general feedback was very positive.

“However, some businesses raised concerns around the number of parking spaces to be displaced in order to accommodate these works.

“Ennis Chamber understands that the Ennis 2040 Plan, due to be launched this year, will include a parking solution for Ennis town centre and we will lobby to ensure that is the case.

The business lobby concluded that the planned works along with the Parnell Street/ Laneways and Bow-ways Public Realm project will, in time, result in a huge improvement across the town centre and will be a welcome facelift for the town.