Ennis Chamber urges immediate investment in Clareabbey wastewater treatment plant
Speaking in Dublin last week at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and Academy of Urbanism conference, Uisce Éireann Chairman Jerry Grant described Ireland’s water system as being ‘in a desperate state’, a view shared at local level here in Clare by incoming Ennis Chamber President Diarmuid McMahon.
McMahon highlights that Clareabbey, one of two wastewater treatment plants in Ennis, is designated ‘red’ on Uisce Éireann’s traffic light system, indicating ‘no capacity’ available.
McMahon said. “To think that the county town, and economic driver for Clare has only one functioning wastewater treatment is preposterous. It renders ridiculous any conversation around future population growth for Ennis Municipal District. How can developers have confidence to purchase zoned land if one half of the town currently offers no opportunity for connectivity? It’s a shocking state of affairs. Not only does this basic lack of infrastructure stimy any future promise of delivering private or affordable housing to large swathes of Ennis and the Municipal District, it also thwarts the possibility of attracting investment in commercial and industrial development.”
Furthermore, Diarmuid McMahon, who is Managing Director of estate agents Sherry FitzGerald McMahon observes that this gross lack of infrastructure calls into question many elements of the County Development Plan. “The 2023 to 2029 development plan immediately needs to be reviewed to ensure that serviced lands zoned for residential strategic reserve, that are serviceable by the second plant with capacity, are redesignated for residential use now. We cannot wait for 2029 to review the plan as we are shutting half of the town down for residential development. Lands that are zoned for residential use in the 2023 to 2029 development plan that would be serviced by the Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant have effectively been sterilised for use.”
Ennis Chamber urges government to invest in water infrastructure, otherwise all of the plans for population and jobs growth for Ennis are just words without foundation.
Worryingly, Uisce Éireann Chairman Jerry Grant told delegates attending the Sustainable Urban Regeneration Conference last week that Uisce Éireann has “no mandate” to provide for future housing growth, something which was “very poorly understood and very often misrepresented”.
Margaret O’Brien CEO, Ennis Chamber, said the situation regarding lack of connectivity at Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant, was confirmed at a recent Chambers Ireland CEO forum held in Dublin, which was addressed by two senior representatives of Uisce Éireann. She commented, “Investment in Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant is now a top lobbying priority for Ennis Chamber, both locally with elected councillors and TDs and nationally. We need the facility at Clareabbey to be upgraded, if we are to realise the potential of Ennis.”
For his part, Diarmuid McMahon has made a commitment to make this a key policy issue for his 12-month tenure as President of Ennis Chamber, which starts from Thursday, April 3rd.
