Policymakers are being urged to prioritise the survival and growth of Clare’s existing towns following the collapse of an ambitious plan for growth in the South-East of the County.
It comes as the University of Limerick has withdrawn an application to designate lands to the North of its campus as an economic Strategic Development Zone.
In 2022, UL and Clare County Council submitted a joint application to the Department of Housing to create Europe’s first 21st Century University Town.
The goal was to create a Dual Education Centre of Excellence that would create 3,500 jobs and contribute €1.7bn to the economy anually through Foreign Direct Investment.
But the plans have now been shelved, with the University of Limerick as lead agency pulling out of the process, citing a lack of progress with the Limerick Northern Distributor Road, UL’s current governance situation and imminent changes to planning laws.
Clonlara Independent Councillor Michael Begley says UL’s failure to make a timely decision on the matter has been hugely frustrating.
However, one community group is welcoming the news and believes a shift in focus is required to tackle housing shortages, business closures, vacancy and dereliction in Clare’s existing towns.
Síle Ginnane from Better Ennis believes the SDZ would have led to further urban sprawl and that policy makers need to icentivise measures to get people living above shops and starting small businesses in the likes of Ennis, Kilkee, Kilrush and Ennistymon before they become ghost towns.
She says balanced regional development must be prioritised.
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