This article is from page 4 of the 2011-11-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
AN BORD Pleanála has given the green light for a € 2.8 million upgrade of the main Ennis wastewater treatment plant, a project viewed as critical in allowing the town to cater for future commercial developments.
Last week, the board granted planning permission for the upgrade of the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Clonroadmore, Ennis.
This scheme was the subject of a Strategic Infrastructure Development application to An Bord Pleanála and included an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
A full oral hearing also took place in July of this year. The conditions of the planning permission are under examination by Clare County Council at present and it is expected that construction will commence in early 2012.
The decision was welcomed by Mayor of Clare Cllr Pat Hayes. He said, “I welcome this announcement from An Bord Pleanála which is great news for the town of Ennis and will facilitate the continued growth and development of Ennis and environs. It will provide essential infrastructure for Ennis, a designated hub town under the National Spatial Strategy and will improve the quality of the environment for our citizens.”
The scheme is funded under the Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP) 2010 – 2012 by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and Clare County Council.
Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle also welcomed this positive development for Ennis and stated, “This upgrade to the main wastewater treatment plant at Clonroadmore, Ennis, is much needed infrastructure for Ennis allowing further essential developments to take place and provide a better environmental quality for the people of Ennis.”
Officials from Clare County Council told representatives from the board in July that the upgrade was urgently needed in Ennis.
David Timlin, Director of Environment and Water Services, told the hearing that; “The capacity of the main Clondroadmore WWTP urgently needs to be upgraded to provide for the current and predicted growth in domestic population and in the commercial and industrial sectors.”
He said the upgrade was also needed in order to ensure that the council complies with certain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wastewater licenses.
Since 2006 planning applications for large residential and commercial schemes in Ennis have been refused in the basis of inadequate capacity in the public sewer.