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Tag Archives: Ennis 2040

Council grilled on €10 million load to Ennis 2040

Clare County Council has been asked for answers to a number of questions in relation to its approval in June 2021 of a €10 million loan for Ennis 2040, with the council confirming a total of €2.2m has so far been advanced to Ennis 2040 to fund the work programme underway. At the March meeting of the local authority, Councillor Tom O’Callaghan (FF) called for a discussion to be allowed in relation to the council’s approval of a loan for €10 million. The details he requested were to include the cost of the loan and it’s duration, the schedule of loan repayments by the DAC, the list of assets owned by DAC currently, as well as the purpose of loans and if the council has guaranteed all liabilities. He also questioned whether the council is financially liable in any event of unfortunate financial misadventure. Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling, said he was concerned about the public focus …

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Ennis 2040 developments to have “far-reaching positive effects”

ENNIS 2040 developments are predicted to create over 200 long term jobs and result in €3.5 million of new economic activity in the Clare economy annually. The Ennis 2040 DAC, in collaboration with Clare County Council, has released details of an Economic Impact Assessment examining the transformative potential of a proposed €48 million investment in four strategic town centre sites – Abbey Street Car Park, Harvey’s Quay, Post Office Field, and a brownfield site on Francis Street. The economic impact analysis was undertaken by AECOM and according to Kevin Corrigan, COO, Ennis 2040 DAC the study, “showcases the tremendous potential and wide-ranging benefits” of the proposed developments with “far reaching positive effects” for the town and county. The construction phase is projected to create 526 short term jobs, “providing a substantial and immediate boost” to the local job market.  Beyond construction, the completed projects are expected to generate over 200 long term jobs, contributing an additional €3.5 million annually to the Clare economy.  The proposed …

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Fight over Abbey Street Car Park grows increasingly bitter

THE war of words between Ennis 2040 DAC and Save Ennis Town has heated up in recent days with Ennis 2040 DAC responding to claims made by the voluntary group about the Abbey Street Car Park in Ennis. The claims came at the start of an archaeological dig at the car park last week, ahead of controversial plans to develop the area. The Save Ennis Town group had described the re-development plans as “destructive” to the town. The ‘big dig’ as it is being referred to locally, are excavations undertaken by Archaeology and Built Heritage Ltd, under licence, to investigate the ground at the site and obtain archaeological and heritage information. It is hoped the findings will shed light on the archaeological heritage of the site before any proposed development, and will inform the design process of a landmark building. Ennis 2040 Designated Activity Company (DAC), the entity responsible for delivering nine transformational projects for Ennis town, has rejected a …

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Ennis 2040 DAC Appoints Design Team to Develop Master Plan for Francis Street development

ENNIS 2040 Designated Activity Company has announced the appointment of a collaborative design team to develop a Master Plan for a “much-needed high-quality mixed-use sustainable development” for Francis Street in Ennis’ Town Centre. This will be managed under an agreed Service Level Agreement with Clare County Council. Vincent Hannon Architects (VHA) in collaboration with Cundall Consulting Engineers and Ian Douglas Environmental Consultants have been successful in the tender process to prepare the Master Plan for the site. According to Ennis 2040 DAC the development has the potential to include up to 45 housing units, aiming to “redefine urban community while embracing sustainability and modern design principles in line with the ambitions set out in the approved Ennis 2040 Economic & Spatial Strategy”. Master planning will commence immediately with the aim of launching a comprehensive public consultation process in four to five months’ time to give the public an opportunity to view and comment on the proposed designs.  Subject to a successful planning …

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Abbey Street car park transformation first step for Ennis 2040

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 …

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Major projects for Ennis to get rolling next year

THERE will be planning applications next year for two major projects involving retail, office and housing in Ennis town centre. Briefing councillors this week, chief operating officer of Ennis 2040 Kevin Corrigan said it is intended, between office and large retail, to develop about 5,000 square metres of space, including more than 50 apartments. Mr Corrigan, outlining a number of masterplans, claimed significant progress is likely to come in the next two years. “We’ll be lodging two planning applications for town centre sites in 2023, so between office and large retail we intend to develop about 5,000 square metres of space, 50+ apartments,” he told county council members. “The funding models are still being developed, we’re hoping the construction will start after it goes through planning in 2024,” he added. “We’ll be doing a masterplan next year for the Post Office field and we’re hoping to commence construction in 2024 or 2025.” Restating some of Ennis 2040’s purposes Mr Corrigan …

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Vitalograph CEO: Ennis expansion to offer ‘many opportunities’

THE CEO of Vitalograph Ireland has said plans for the development of a new Centre of Excellence in Ennis “will offer many opportunities” with confirmation that the move will create 72 new jobs. As reported in last week’s Clare Champion, Clare County Council and Ennis 2040 are selling the Ballymaley Enterprise and Innovation Centre building to Vitalograph Ireland for the development of its new Clinical Trials Services Centre of Excellence. Speaking this week on the plans Frank Keane, CEO, Vitalograph Ireland, said, “This expansion represents a significant development for our company and Vitalograph’s commitment to its Irish operations as well as the local community in County Clare. “The new premises will enable us to support the international growth of our ground-breaking clinical trial solutions. Creating a ‘Centre of Excellence’ here in Ennis reflects the talent and skill that exists in the Vitalograph workforce and will offer many opportunities to people looking to build their careers in this exciting business.” Vitalograph, …

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Apartment solution to Ennis population growth ambition

WHILE Ennis is in the grip of a housing crisis, the Ennis 2040 strategy suggests a significant increase in the town’s population can be accommodated. The strategy, launched by An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, proposes high density development composed mostly of two-bedroom units, with some one- and three-bed units. Up to 1,500 apartments could be developed, the strategy posits. Annual population growth of 1.6% per annum is projected, bringing the town’s population to around 37,000 by 2040, and it identifies areas where these new residents can be accommodated. First off, it says that 30 hectares of land in the town centre can be made available for housing in the inner area of Ennis. “It is envisaged that spare land capacity identified in the inner area will be used to achieve a mix of uses, in the form of a combination of commercial and residential development,” the strategy states. “Broadly speaking, a 50-50 split might result in 30 hectares of residential development …

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