The owner of Supermac’s believes a new motorway service station on the outskirts of Ennis will help generate business in the area.
The Barack Obama Plaza-style development, which is eight years in the planning, has just been given the green light by An Bord Pleanála.
Plans for a motorway plaza just off the M18 motorway at Kilbreckan were first lodged by Founder and CEO of Supermac’s, Pat McDonagh back in 2014, but this was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
After going back to the drawing board, this latest plan was given the green light by Clare County Council in December 2020 and two years on, the planning authority has now given it the final go-ahead.
The development promises to create around 100 jobs during the construction phase, as well as up to 130 full and part-time jobs on completion.
Pat McDonagh has told Clare FM he’s confident the plaza will be good for Ennis, Clare and the tourism sector as a whole.
The current plan was appealed to An Bord Pleanala by a number of businesses including the Old Ground Hotel, Maxol Ltd and Duesbury Ltd, as well as a local landowner.
Shane Brigdale successfully opposed the development at the appeals board previously and in his objection against this plan, claimed to have right of way across the site, which he uses every day.
The businesses raised concern that the motorway service station would have a negative impact on Ennis, Clarecastle and Crusheen, acting as a counter attraction.
But Pat McDonagh says it’s their experience that these developments do the opposite.
Construction is expected to get underway on the development in the coming months, in the hope of officially open the facility by the end of 2023.
Listen back to the full interview here:
