Proposed development of Post Office field

Clare County Council, through the development of an Ennis 2040 Economic and Spatial Strategy, has set out ambitious economic strategy for the town. Ennis 2040 DAC, which is wholly owned by Clare County Council, has been set up as the vehicle to implement the Ennis 2040 Economic & Spatial Strategy. The strategy proposes the prioritisation of sustainable development activities that will enable population growth of 1.6% per annum and the delivery of an additional 5,000 jobs by 2040. Nine Transformational Projects have been identified within the strategy focused on the regeneration of the town centre and the provision of infrastructure and facilities that will be required.

The strategic objectives of the plan are to:

• Position Ennis as a location for investment
• Make Ennis an exemplar as ‘Ireland’s First Climate Adaptive Town’ and properly position the town to transition to a low- carbon future.
• Lead the way as ‘Ireland’s First 10 Minute Town’ where a range of community facilities and services are accessible in short timeframes
• Develop a quality-of-life proposition in Ennis that sets it apart from other locations

The Post Office Field lies at a broad meander in the River Fergus which is a significant natural open space asset bounded to the north by Springfield Court and to the east by Bindon Street in the town centre.

The Post Office Field development project forms part of the Ennis 2040 Economic and Spatial Strategy and is a key initiative set out in the County Development Plan 2023 to 2029.

The vision for the Post Office Field is a "natural open space rich in diversity, in the heart of Ennis where one can connect with nature and the River Fergus and create a special place for all in the town centre."

The proposed elevated boardwalk has been designed around river biodiversity, habitat and wildlife. The boardwalk will also provide connectivity and spectacular views of the town’s historic heritage and create a new destination for people to meet and socialise in the centre of Ennis.

The proposed Post Office Fiield development will provide the following:

• Elevated Boardwalk
• Leisure and Playground facilities
• Town Centre riverside looped walk
• Environmental education possibilities
• Performance and Public events space on terraced area located off Bindon Street.

Scheme Benefits

The following benefits were highlighted in the Economic Impact Assessment completed by AECOM Ireland Ltd:

• €0.6m Mode Shift benefits in line with Climate Action Plan
• €7m Health Benefits
• €2.2m Journey Time Savings (to and from North and South of River Fergus)
• €0.2m Recreational Benefits and enhanced bio-diversity exposure.

The project team have prepared consultation boards (see the Consultation Boards panel) to illustrate the proposed development

Low Impact Development

• The proposed development will use low impact construction methods.
• The work areas will be controlled to keep construction footprint as small as possible.
• Enhance bio-diversity using native planting.

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Public Consultation

Clare County Council invites the public and interested stakeholders to view the plans of the proposed development and provide comments and feedback which will be taken into consideration by the Design Team in the final design.

The following drop in events will take place in the Civic Room, Westpark Campus, Drumbiggle Road, Ennis (Eircode V95 RR72) as follows:

Date: Wednesday 24th April Time: 18:00 to 20:00

Date: Thursday 25th April Time: 17:00 to 19:00

The proposed images of development will be available to view in the Foyer of Clare County Council Offices, New Road, Ennis (Eircode: V95 DXP2) on::

Dates: 29th April to 3rd May 2024 Time: 09:00 - 17:00