'Clearly not enough': Calls to improve levels of public seating in Ennis town centre
Potential locations for new public seating in Ennis have been identified
Calls have been made for increased levels of public seating in Ennis town centre.
Councillor Mary Howard submitted a motion at the January meeting of Ennis Municipal District requesting that "appropriate locations in the town centre" be identified for public seating.
"It's something people have been asking about on a regular basis," Cllr Howard told the meeting, which took place on Tuesday, January 9.
"It came to a head in December, with people around the town, meeting people and listening to music and carol services, and if they felt that they couldn't stay standing there was no place for them to sit."
"What is currently available is clearly not enough."
Cllr Howard also requested that Dunnes Stores be asked to reinstate their public seating in the mall, as a number of constituents had mentioned to her they missed the former seating area.
In response to Cllr Howard's motion, senior engineer Sean Lenihan said he would raise the matter with the management at Dunnes Stores, and "advise the Members of the outcome at the earliest juncture".
He also stated that the Project Management Office (PMO) at Clare County Council have advised that "suitable locations for public seating have been foremost in their consideration and the related public consultation carried out as part of the Ennis Public Realm Project currently at construction stage".
"Every opportunity has been taken to introduce seating where possible, notwithstanding space limitations due to the narrow streets within the historic town centre, and the need to avoid clutter or exacerbate problems associated with antisocial behaviour," he continued.
A number of potential locations have been identified by the PMO, Mr Lenihan said, within "the larger public spaces of O’Connell Square, Barrack Square and outside the Cathedral, but also where space permits along O’Connell Street and High Street", and he said a drawing showing the proposed locations would be circulated to councillors.
Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy offered her support for Cllr Howard's motion, and stated she hoped that Dunnes Stores had not removed the mall seating "for the lowest common denominator, anti-social behavior."
Cllr Tom O'Callaghan said he supported the motion "in theory", but that the prospect of encouraging anti-social behaviour by adding more seating had to be considered, a position echoed by other councillors.
However Cllr Howard challenged this position, pointing to the community use of public benches, and stating that she personally had observed very little anti-social behaviour around the public seating in the Abbey Street carpark and other locations.