Work advancing on four planned regeneration projects
For an easier to view version of the map above see the council website.
The views of the public are to be sought shortly on the two large regeneration programmes planned for Mullingar, engineer Blathnaid Cox told members of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad at their April monthly meeting.
In addition, work is continuing on the multifaceted regeneration programmes planned for Castlepollard and Kinnegad.
The Mullingar schemes are planned for Blackhall and for the Canal Avenue area.
Ms Cox said the projects are complex, with multiple elements and phases, and as a means to keep the public up to date there is a 'Regeneration Projects' area on the Westmeath County Council website.
For Blackhall, Savills Consultants are nearing completion of an economic feasibility report, and once this is done, work on a master plan for the area will be prepared.
Ms Cox sad that the stakeholder consultation is ongoing and the public consultation will commence this summer.
After that, an application will be made to the Regional Development Fund (RDF) for funds to implement an agreed master plan.
For the Canal Avenue project, Turley Planning Ireland has been appointed, and is currently progressing a masterplan, Ms Cox said.
“The stakeholder engagement will be commencing shortly, and the regeneration team consultants will be seeking the views of the Mullingar community to inform the masterplan using an online survey,” she stated.
Kinnegad
Ms Cox said the Kinnegad programme is being completed in two phases. The first phase is the community library and education and training centre; the second phase relates to community facilities, and a town park (see story on facing page).
In December of last year, the Part 8 planning process for Phase 1 had successfully concluded and Category 1 funding was then sought from the RDF.
Ms Cox said she will be meeting the Kinnegad Community Forum shortly, and the aim of that meeting is to explain the RDF fund, its aims and objectives, the bid process and the marking scheme.
After that an online community needs assessment survey will be conducted to establish the needs and aspirations of the community.
Castlepollard
Tenders are currently being assessed for the appointment of consultants for the Castlepollard project, Ms Cox said, explaining that the consultants will be tasked with carrying out a regeneration plan for the area.
They will also prepare preliminary designs and obtain planning consents for the Market House and public realm and for the town park.
Speaking of the importance of achieving a cohesive plan for Castlepollard, Ms Cox said she had attended a community forum meeting where she outlined the aims and objectives of the fund. She added that a community needs assessment will be published soon.
Energy
Reacting to the presentation, Green Party councillor Hazel Smyth asked if there was scope in Mullingar for co-operation with the Mullingar Sustainable Energy Community, to which Ms Cox replied that there would be.
Cllr Denis Leonard said that for the Kinnegad projects, communication will be vital: “We need to make the most of it because we will only get one bite at the cherry,” he stated.
Cllr Frank McDermott wondered what the views were on the retention of the town hall in Castlepollard – something that he admitted would be far down on his priority list.
Cllr Paddy Hill wondered about the timeframe, and was concerned about how to get people involved in the consultation process who do not use the internet.
Responding, Ms Cox said that at the Castlepollard meeting, there had been a desire expressed for retention of the town hall and for the provision of community facilities there.
She said that as the community needs assessment is carried out, there will be a diverse range of opinions sought, and she said the consultation documentation would be available in hard copy format at the libraries and suitable locations such as county council offices in Castlepollard. She envisaged that it would be towards the end of 2022 at the earliest that construction would begin in Castlepollard.