This article is from page 3 of the 2006-08-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
CLARE County Council and the National Roads Authority (NRA) have been spared millions of euro by private developers who are to build a link from the Quin Road business park to the €190 million Ennis bypass.
Ennis businessmen Sean Lyne and Noel Connellan have lodged plans for a €50 million retail park that is expected to provide 150 jobs.
The proposed €50 million development, comprising 14,840 square metres, will include a large anchor DIY store with garden centre and builders’ yard.
Ennis Retail Park will also comprise 9 smaller retail units. The large store will occupy 6,000 square metres while the smaller units will vary from 700 to 1580sqm.
It is expected that 175 full and part time jobs will be created once the retail park is operational.
The construction phase will provide 100 jobs over a 12 to 18 month period.
“Business and jobs that may go elsewhere with the advent of the new bypass will now remain in Ennis. With over 700 car parking spaces, I believe customers will find the convenience of Ennis Retail Park irresistible and we are confident that the town can now sustain a development of this size with its ability to attract national and international names,” said Mr Connellan.
The large 6,000sqm anchor store is likely to attract interest from the major DIY/Home Improvements operators.
Ronan Rooney, of estate agents Hamilton Osborne King, advisors throughout the pre-planning stage, said that many UK retailers such as PC World, Currys, Halfords motor accessories, Harry Corry and Carpet Right were looking to counteract poor trading in the UK by availing of high disposal incomes currently available in the Irish market.
The scheme has been designed by architects Murray O’Laoire.
Ennis Chamber of Commerce and local businesses have been lobbying for the road link to the bypass.
Quin Business Park businessman, Brian McCarthy, a member of Clare County Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) for Roads and Infrastructure, said: “This gets the council off the hook.
The road proposal makes a lot of sense and avoids unnecessary traffic coming going through Ennis to the Quin Rd site.”