This article is from page 8 of the 2006-09-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A CHRONIC shortage of housing in Shannon is poised to be addressed with an announcement that more than 100 acres of land are to be opened up in the town.
Clare County Council says the land will be made available for residential and commercial development.
A link road, to facilitate the significant development, is also to be built, at a cost of several million euro, and is due to be completed next August.
The announcement – which coincides with the second anniversary of the transfer of responsibilities for the town from Shannon Development to Clare County Council – will see an initial investment of €4 million from the council’s resources.
Shannon Town Manager Ger Dollard said, “Phase one of the new road network will link the road near St Caiman’s School with Slí Na Mara road.
“This significant development represents one of a number of projects initiated by Clare County Council since it took over responsibility for Shannon Town in September 2004.”
Shannon Mayor Councillor Tony McMahon (Lab) said the development would be widely welcomed in Shannon, where lack of housing for young couples was a huge concern.
“In recent times, the population of Shannon has been at a standstill and it is good to see options opening up. The construction of the road means the development won’t impact on any existing roads in the town – the main thing is the new road,” said Cllr McMahon.
“This is going in the right direction. We have often had the development first and the road after, but the procedure is right in this development,” he said.
Cllr McMahon said it was crucial that most of the land was made available for housing.
“I would like to think there will be a lot of houses and the development of social facilities. I would like to think it won’t be an investment-type development,” he added.