Planning for a growing population

The new Draft Clare County Development Plan has targeted a 25% increase in the county’s population to a record high of almost 140,000 by 2022.

The targets allow for a further growth of 9,000 in the population of Ennis 2022 and a hike of between 2,000 and 4,000 for Shannon during the same period.
It forecasts a 19% jump in the population of South West Clare, a 22% hike in North West Clare, a 28% increase in South and Mid-Clare and a 29% growth in North East Clare. The population of the county at the last census in 2006 stood at 110,950.
The distribution of the population increase across County Clare until 2022 is expressed through four zones – west, north, east and mid/south.
Facilitating the provision of an international conference centre in the Mid/South Clare area and encouraging the expansion of growth in the conference industry and hospitality market are one of the key measures to stimulate economic development in the plan.
Senior planner, Gordon Daly said the work of the council in preparing the plan was to complement job creation agencies and public-private collaborative initiatives such as Atlantic Way.
Other measures in the draft plan include the provision of an adequate supply of zoned and serviced land for industry and employment and facilitating the development and expansion of Shannon Airport, particularly the development of an international air freight cargo hub.
The council also wants to facilitate the expansion of the renewable energy industry.
The growth of the agri-food, forestry, bio-energy, commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors are identified in the plan as one of its key objectives and it also wants to address gaps in retail provision in the county including expanding tourism-related retailing.
Mr Daly has pledged the draft plan will continue to support the future expansion of the University of Limerick (UL) campus onto the Clare side of the River Shannon and to improve access to UL from County Clare.
Encouraging collaboration with all third level institutes in proximity to the county including off-campus research and development in Clare is also promoted in the plan.