This article is from page 9 of the 2006-09-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
ENNIS Chamber of Commerce has said proposed large scale retail parks on the outskirts of Ennis will not have a draining effect on the town centre providing there is a balanced “retail-mix”.
In recent months, plans have been lodged with Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council for the development of a number of retail parks at locations on the outskirts of Ennis.
The most recent example was when plans were lodged by a Galway businessman for a series of commercial developments at a 48-acre site in Skehanagh, Clarecastle. Other similar developments have been mooted for locations on the Clare Road, Quin Road and Ballymaley.
The chamber says such developments are welcome, but according to chamber CEO Rita McInerney, it is important that the ‘retail-mix’ is appropriate to the type of development.
“We have committees appointed to review all of these applications and we will make our own submissions to the council.
“With these type of developments, the retail mix is very important.
“In many cases, ‘white goods’, which are bulky items such as furniture or appliances that require transportation, are usually sold in retail parks.
“Shops selling boutique goods, as is the case in Francis Street, should be sold in the town centre. We have got to get the mix right. Ennis is unique for shopping compared to many other large cities. This independence should be preserved and protected,” she said.
The chamber is concerned over the growing number of vacant commercial units in the town centre and say the cost of changing the use of a building is prohibitively high.