‘Ghost’ shopping fears for Ennis

AN alarming increase in commercial vacancies in Ennis Town Centre has prompted a groundswell of opposition from local traders against the proposed development of a superstore on the outskirts of the town.

A recent survey conducted by Ennis Chamber of premises in the town centre, excluding Parson’s Quay, revealed the vacancy rate, which stands at 44 premises, has jumped from 6% in 2002 to 15.3% earlier this month, a level business leaders have warned is not sustainable in the medium to long term.
Concern over low occupancy rates in commercial premises is one of the reasons why Ennis Chamber, the Ennis Development Forum, local traders and some councillors have united to oppose a controversial proposed variation to the Ennis and Environs Development Plan to facilitate a major 7,000m2 retail development with 610 car parking spaces on the Limerick Road.
Promoters of this development, who expect to have Tesco as the anchor tenant, estimate it could generate over 300 construction jobs and up to 200 permanent posts in the food store alone.
However, Ennis Chamber has cited research conducted on out-of-town developments, which indicated for every two jobs created in these enterprises, up to three jobs are lost in town-centre businesses.
Traders are concerned this new development, with direct access off the Ennis Bypass, could attract shoppers from a 10 or 15-mile radius of the town to a superstore without stopping off to do any business in the town centre.
They also fear the new district centre could prove to be as big as the retail size of Kilrush or be the equivalent of one third of the existing retail space in Ennis Town Centre.
A comprehensive presentation of the possible “doughnut” impact of a large foodstore at Limerick Road, Ennis by chartered architect and regional planner, Michael Leahy and other business leaders is expected to generate heated debate at a public meeting organised by Ennis Chamber in the Old Ground Hotel, Ennis next Tuesday night at 6.15pm.
In a wide ranging analysis of the proposed variation on behalf of Ennis Chamber, Mr Leahy warned the significant contradiction of key planning policies and aspects of the rest of the development plan, if the proposed modifications proceed, could leave the planning authority open to the possibility of “legal action or judicial review”.
“The adoption of the proposed modifications would introduce a significant element of self-contradiction into the development plan, which may well call its validity into question,” he said.
He said vacancy rates over 15% are being experienced in Ennis at present at a time when the total retail stock of Ennis and Clare doubled between the year 2002 and 2009.
He warned the proposal for additional land for extra retail space at a time of high vacancy levels flies in the face of common sense and could lead to “ghost” shopping areas in Ennis Town Centre.
“The ‘doughnut effect’, whereby town centres are hollowed out because of their inability to compete with edge-of-town shopping centres, is well recorded. It has its most devastating effects after the tide of an economic boom has gone out when the overall market shrinks significantly.
“This can be seen operating in the Cruise’s Street development in Limerick, which is now suffering a significant vacancy rate due to its inability to compete with the Parkway and Dooradoyle shopping centres.
“It clearly makes no sense to zone additional land, which would inevitably be for the benefit of a multinational retailer with no commitment to long-term employment in the Ennis area and no commitment to the maintenance of the town centre as a viable and attractive magnet for shoppers and for tourists,” he stated.
Mr Leahy pointed out local authorities are required to incorporate “core strategies” in their development plans, which places a strong emphasis on the protection of the central historic centres of towns like Ennis. This strategy also places a strong emphasis on the importance of a sequential test to assess the impact of out-of-town developments on the centre of towns.
He claimed the dispensing of the sequential test in the proposed modification is one of the inherent contradictions, which equates to a material contravention.
Commenting on a Strategic Environmental Assessment conducted in 2008, Mr Leahy noted the site on the Limerick Road was characterised as being one of extreme groundwater vulnerability, while it was classified as “Flood Zone A”, an area of high risk of flooding in the most recent flooding maps of Ennis and its environs.
He stated the creation of a new significantly-sized shopping area could involve the creation of an alternative competitor to Ennis town centre located out of the centre.
If a “district centre” is built to comply with Government guidelines, he warned this could potentially ruin the retail balance within Ennis, where there was already an overprovision of shopping space.
Michael Lynch Limited has applied to Ennis Town Council for a major commercial development on the 5.22 hectare site.
The local planning authority issued a request for further information to address a number of its concerns earlier this year and following the granting of a three-month extension, the developers now have up to November 30 to submit the necessary information.
A separate planning application has been made by Michael Lynch for the demolition of two houses on the Limerick Road to create alternative vehicular and pedestrian access to the site.
In documents lodged with the planning authority, Dublin-based planning consultants DPP state the proposal will make a “positive contribution not only to the urban fabric of the town, but also through the social benefits which will accrue, which include lasting local jobs for local people.”