The CEO of Ennis Chamber believes the successful implementation of the Ennis 2040 plan could lift the area out of its ‘dormitory town’ status.
The strategy promises to strategically position the county town as an ideal location for both domestic and international investment, while making it Ireland’s ‘first climate adaptive town’.
The dust on the launch of the Ennis 2040 plan is now settling, with attentions now turning to the implementation of what’s outlined in the 250-plus page document.
5,000 new jobs are promised in Ennis within the next two decades, with the town’s population projected to grow by around 50 percent in that timeframe.
Attracting foreign direct investment here in conjunction with the IDA is believed to be one of the aims that’s high on the agenda for those tasked with making the strategy a success.
Ennis Chamber CEO Margaret O’ Brien says skilled jobs arriving in the town will be key to that.
Significant residential development appears in most projects associated with the Ennis 2040 plan, with up to 1,500 more people living in the town centre alone being earmarked.
The possibility of facilitating older members of the community to downsize their homes is mentioned in the document.
However, Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District and Independent Councillor Ann Norton says no pressure will be put on any resident to do so.
The new Chief Operations Officer of the Ennis 2040 DAC believes the rollout of improved public transport access in the town will be critical to the plan’s success.
Kevin Corrigan, who has been named in the position in recent weeks, is hopeful this will be done in tandem with the planned upgrades to walking and cycling infrastructure in the town’s environs.
