Tag Archives: clare county council

A PROPERTY marking clinic will be held at Ennis Mart on Tuesday, April 18 from 10am to 1pm. The Clare County Property Marking Scheme is part of a nationwide property marking programme which aims to combat property theft and assist in the identification and return of stolen property. “Property that is marked is less likely to be targeted and less desired by thieves,” outlines Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. Garda Cormac Fallon, Ennis Garda Station, Ennis Mart and Clare County Council are hosting the clinic. Farmyard equipment such as trailers, chainsaws, consaws, power tools, or any items of value, can be marked at the clinic. The service is being provided for free. Gardaí from the Divisional Roads Policing Unit will also be present to meet people and answer any questions they may have in relation to trailer and towing safety, driver licencing and agricultural machinery on the roads.

THE public are being urged to have their say on a proposal to rename a bridge in Ennis after a sporting legend of Clare. As reported in The Clare Champion earlier this month efforts are being made to change the name of Victoria Bridge at Cusack Road to The Mike McTigue Bridge in honour of the famous sportsman from Kilnamona. The Ennis Municipal District is now inviting the public to make submissions on the proposal with online consultation now open and continuing until Friday, April 7. The bridge is dated to 1840 and when this road was first built, the road was known as New Road. It later became Victoria Road, then Cusack Road. Mike McTigue was born in Lickaune, Kilnamona Co Clare in 1891, Mike was one of 11 sons and one daughter of Pat McTigue and Ellen McTigue (née Nylon). He emigrated to New York in 1912 where he went on to become a professional boxer and fought …

THE development of a second Lidl store in Ennis has been put on hold as separate appeals have been lodged to An Bord Pleanala, including one by the supermarket giant itself. An appeal has also been made by retailer representative group The Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association (RGDATA) who say the decision to grant planning permission should be overturned. Last month Clare County Council granted planning permission to Lidl Ireland for a €20 million mixed-use development at the junction of the Clare Road and Tobarteascain Road. As well as a new store, the plans included 20 residential apartments, a café and two commercial units. According to Lidl, the development would create 30 local jobs along with 100 more during construction. However, Lidl has appealed against conditions of planning, including one which places restrictions on the use of the accommodation units. Lidl have also disputed a Special Development Contribution of €325,000 describing it as “not warranted and considered excessive”. Meanwhile …

AN assurance has been given that jobs at Shannon Heritage sites in Clare are secure, as the transfer to the local authority is expected to be approved shortly by government.  Leonard Cleary, Director of Services for Tourism, said the authority expects sign-off very soon for the transfer of the sites to Clare County Council. “We would like it to happen, with government approval, before summer,” Mr Cleary told a meeting of the Council’s Rural Development committee.  Efforts to transfer the sites from the Shannon Airport Group met an impasse at the end of last year, when the government offered a fraction of the €15 million funding package sought by Clare County Council. Since then, a range of options has been explored and meetings have continued into this week in an effort to resolve the issue and protect amenities and jobs at sites including Bunratty Castle, Craggaunowen and Knappogue Castle. Addressing a rural committee meeting in Ennis on Tuesday (February 21), …

STRONG interest has been reported, in Clare, a grant scheme designed to bring vacant and derelict properties back into use as housing.  An update on the level of interest in Clare was provided in the January management report of the local authority, showing that more than 30 applications have been received to-date. The Council also said it is responding to “a large volume of queries received daily in connection with the vacant property refurbishment grant from interested homeowners”. Last year, Croí Cónaithe, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, opened offering a maximum of €30,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties as a principal private residence, subject to certain conditions. “There is a strong interest in the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant to include the derelict property top-up grant as a means of providing assistance to homeowners to bring vacant proper- ties back into use,” the Council’s January report stated.  The documented notes that properties considered for inclusion must be vacant for two …

CLARE County Council pays more to female staff than any other local authority, an analysis of gender pay gap data shows. In a survey conducted by The Irish Independent, Clare topped the league table in terms of Councils whose gender pay gap favours women. Figures released in December place Clare among 13 local authorities where female employees are paid more than their male counterparts. The Council’s recently-published Gender Pay Gap Report for 2022 reveals, for the first time, the average hourly wage of men and women across the workforce. The 2022 report shows a Mean Gender Pay Gap of -7.04%. This means that on average, females working for Clare County Council occupy higher paid roles than males. According to the authority, its Median Gender Pay Gap of -15.73% means that there is “a strong representation of females in upper management roles in Clare County Council”.  The Council’s January management report stated: “Publishing our gender pay gap data helps to reinforce …

THE transformation of Ennis’ Abbey Street Carpark into a retail and office space is set to be the first project to be delivered under the Ennis 2040 plan it has been revealed. The proposed re-development, if given the green light, is expected to create hundreds of jobs and draw thousands of shoppers into Ennis’ town centre. A planning application for Abbey Street is to be lodged by the middle of this year, the Ennis Designated Activity Company (DAC) have confirmed. The Ennis 2040 DAC say the proposed project would result in 100 permanent jobs once complete and 200 jobs during construction, and create a town centre footfall of 20,000 shoppers a week. COO of Ennis 2040 Kevin Corrigan said that, “The Ennis 2040 team and Clare County Council are working hard to deliver on the vision of a vibrant and sustainable town centre for future generations. Ennis 2040 will be commencing extensive public consultations on the proposed town centre projects …

CLARE County Council has officially launched a new heritage plan and design guide for one of north Clare’s most important towns. The plan for Lisdoonvarna sets out proposals to inform and guide the town’s future development and ensure the conservation of its rich heritage. The Lisdoonvarna Heritage Plan and Design Guide proposes numerous upgrades, public realm improvements and developments. A Heritage Trail is proposed to connect the many heritage sites in the town, including the Spa Wells, bridges, significant buildings and views, which, alongside an audio guide, can highlight local stories, folklore and history along the trail. Other proposed upgrades include public realm improvements for the Main Square, Lower Main Street and Tivoli Terrace, along with conceptual drawings for the town’s arrival points, the Twin Wells, Rathlaun Wells, and the viewpoints at the Spectacle Bridge, Gowlaun Spa and Maryville House. The Heritage Plan and Design Guide also makes proposals for the Spa Wells complex. The Lisdoonvarna Spa Wells holds a …