A former Mayor of Ennis says Abbey Street businesses fear their livelihoods will be impacted, if plans to turn the adjacent car park into a mixed use commercial zone come to fruition.
It follows heated exchanges at this month’s meeting of Ennis Municipal District Councillors, during which various aspects of the project were debated.
This week’s meeting debated a key plank of the Ennis 2040 project which includes a plan to build a multi-storey mixed use building on the Abbey Street public car park and a temporary car park in Francis Street, which would involve demolishing six houses.
Councillors voted by four votes to three against a motion from Councillors Flynn, Tom O’Callaghan and Pat Daly, asking that the Ennis 2040 DAC rethink its plans for Abbey Street and Francis Street.
Th motion led to heated exchanges between Councillors, as a number of Ennis retailers observed from the public gallery in the council chamber.
Former Mayor of Ennis, Fine Gael Councillor Flynn says business owners in Abbey Street fear their livelihoods will be impacted if the project goes ahead.
Meanwhile, The Mayor of Ennis says that the Ennis 2040 strategy is pivotal to the future of the town.
Fianna Fá¡il councillor Clare Colleran Molloy says she’s fully supportive of the Ennis 2040 vision.
Concerns over the impact on parking in the town was raised on a number of occasions at this week’s meeting.
Ennis Municpal District Director of Physical Development, Carmel Kirby says that there is one car parking space for every 13 people living in Ennis.
You can listen to the full interview below.
