Supermac’s €10m plaza plan put on hold by the council

CONTROVERSIAL plans by fast-food firm Supermac’s to build a €10m Barack Obama-style motorway plaza have been put on hold by Clare County Council.

The local authority has asked for additional information on technical aspects of the plans for a site off the M18 motorway near Ennis.

The Ennis plan is seeking to repeat the success of the Barack Obama plaza at Moneygall, Co Offaly, but it has been mired in controversy over bogus letters of support lodged with the council.

A total of 187 letters backing the plan were sent and around 40 people have since contacted the council to complain, while 27 have formally withdrawn what were not their letters in the first place.

The bogus letters used people’s names and addresses without their knowledge and involved forged signatures.

Supermac’s has asked gardaí to investigate the bogus letters after the company stated it was “horrified” to learn about them.

However, the council does not refer to the ‘bogus letters’ in its request for further information.

Nor does it refer to the concerns of local businesses over the impact the Supermac’s proposal may have on the local economy.

Instead, the request refers to issues concerning the main sewer connection to the project, traffic; landscaping; the operation of the plaza and surface water management for the project.

The council has told Supermac’s boss Pat McDonagh that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has raised an issue with the feasibility of having the main sewer connection for the project on the N85 bridge crossing the River Fergus.

A spokesman for Supermac’s said it would not be commenting at this time.