Members of the public and stakeholder groups interested in the proposed Shannon Town Park project are being asked for their input during a five-week period of public consultation.
The €910,000 project will see the enhancement and incorporation of the existing town park woodland and the adjacent Rineanna Park into a flagship town park for the people of Shannon.
A full design team, led by a Landscape Architect and Urban Designer, was appointed in late September to progress the design and planning phases of the project and Clare County Council anticipates that contractors could be on site in mid-2017, subject to statutory planning procedures and approval.
Clare County Council is now asking members of the public for its input while the Local Authority is also planning to engage with various stakeholders, including schools, residents, locals and visitors to the area. A questionnaire will be made available in the Shannon Municipal District Office, Shannon Library and at Shannon Leisure Centre, while ideas and comments may be emailed to dryan@clarecoco.ie on or before Friday, December 2.
Councillor John Crowe, Cathaoirleach of Shannon Municipal District is encouraging all residents of Shannon and people working in the town and surrounding areas to have their say on what is a very important and worthwhile local project.
“Once delivered, the Shannon Town Park will act as a focal point for the wider community, and will also enhance the recreational opportunities for children, youths and adults in Shannon and surrounding areas,” he said.
The Shannon Town Park project was first developed with public consultation to detailed masterplan level during the preparation of the Shannon Green Infrastructure Plan 2013. The project also is an objective of the Shannon Town & Environs Local Area Plan 2012-2018.
Earlier this year, Clare County Council was allocated €455,000 in EU funding from the Southern Regional Assembly’s Operational Programme 2014-2020 to support sustainable urban development in the Limerick-Shannon Gateway. Clare County Council is funding the balance of the overall cost of the Shannon Town Park project. The sanctioning authority for the Shannon Town Park project is the ERDF Auditing & Certifying Authority within the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.