An Ennis Councillor believes there may be a deficit of up to 2,000 car parking spaces in the county town.
There are currently more than 2,700 car spaces in Ennis, with just over half of these being public.
The Ennis 2040 plan, published late last year, says ‘issues surrounding car dependency’ need to be addressed during the lifetime of the strategy.
Clare County Council has told Clare FM that while it’s currently ‘examining’ further parking options, public transport will be prioritised over private cars in the design of transport networks.
Fine Gael Councillor Johnny Flynn says it’s causing difficulties for outlets as they attempt to resume full trading following the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
Clare County Council Statement:
Any development under the Ennis 2040 plan will be subject to a statutory planning process which will allow for public submissions.
Ennis Municipal District is currently examining parking options, both private and public. However, the National Transport Authorities ‘Road Users Hierarchy’ notes that in order to encourage the use of sustainable modes of transport, a hierarchy of road users to be considered for the design of networks. The pedestrian is placed at the top of the user hierarchy, and a high priority must also be given to cyclists and public transport. Due to the significantly greater numbers of people that can be carried by bus, public transport needs to be prioritised over the private car in the design of transport networks.
There are no definite pedestrianisation plans for the town, albeit we are currently trialling the pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street between 11.30am – 5pm seven days a week. Any future pedestrianisation plans will be subject to public consultation.
