'I see a very bright future' Laois town regeneration officer focuses on Mountmellick

The Laois Town Regeneration officer says there is a lot going for Mountmellick and that it has a bright future.

Denise Rainey spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live at the open evening to show the draft Mountmellick Town First plan to the public, in Mountmellick library on June 17.

The event attracted crowds of local people eager to see what could improve the town, which has a high rate of unemployment and vacant homes and is bogged down by passing traffic.

“We are thrilled with the turnout. We’ve been going non stop for the last two hours,” Ms Rainey said. 

“There’s so much going for Mountmellick. The townspeople have been doing so much for themselves, with the support of the area office of Laois County Council.

“The tidy towns group on our town team do phenomenal work. We see a planning application submitted for Lidl, which is a great sign that bigger companies are investing.

“We see an increase in other applications too on the Main Street for restaurants and apartments. I think that’s all signs that people see the potential in Mountmellick. Coupled with this plan I see a very bright future,” she said.

The plan comes after six months of work by the Town Team, made up of residents, community and business people.

“In the initial public consultation we got about 325 responses, they fed into the identifying of the six projects on display.

“They are all conceptual, the purpose of tonight is to get feedback and people have been really vocal. The one attracting the most attention is O’Connell Square. People are really engaged, giving us feedback. We want as much as possible.

Discussing the proposed plans were Maura Reddin with Micheal O'Loughlin, Padraig O'Toole, Collette Dunne, Bernie O'Toole & Beth Treseder Photo Denis Byrne

“The rural towns in Laois that got Town First plans have been the most successful in getting funding. The Government wants to invest in towns where plans are led by the community. They want to give the money to something a town actually wants. If we got this plan finalised by September, that will be available to all the sections in the council to ask for funding, maybe for design first and in turn to do the physical works,” she said.

Read the Mountmellick public's opinions of the plan.

Fran Baker, chair of the Town Team is hopeful real changes will follow.

“There are easy wins in the public realm that we can try and do for the town, signage and streetlighting, things like that. Grants to paint the front of houses. The bigger projects will take time and depend on how well we put the plan together. There’s a lot of work still to be done.”

WHAT'S IN THE PLAN?:

Led by local suggestions, the consultants have targeted six priority areas in Mountmellick town centre; O’Connell Square, Smiths Field Park, the public realm, a continuous River Walk right through the town, Revitalisation of the town centre and as a Trail Head to the Slieve Blooms.

In O'Connell Square, they suggest removing 17 parking spaces on the Tullamore side of the square, to make a wider pedestrian plaza, suggesting it can be used for a farmers market.

Draft plan for Mountmellick town centre.

“It opens a connection from the secondary school for students going to the cafes. We propose to use private land behind the square to link to the MDA and river walk.

“The square is congested with buses so we propose to open it up,” planner Donna Ryan explained.

To replace parking spaces in O'Connell Square and elsewhere, the planners highlight unused private sites behind the main streets, as well as vacant buildings as opportunity sites, some of which they recommend could become carparks.

The planners say they are trying to create an off road pedestrian route around the town, linking O'Connell Square to the river walk at the MDA.

Hugh O'Byrne explained the Smiths Field visuals, where the council already plans housing and is currently building a path, and the soccer club plans sports facilities. The site was recently vandalised.

They suggest adding a woodland and meadow area and natural play area for children.

“The public reaction is generally positive. A lot of people have questions around the social housing that is going to go in there by the council. Another reoccuring point was the anti-social history of the site," he said.

The planner suggests that will be resolved with the many new additions to the field.

“Maybe with the astroturf and more lighting, and the social housing linking to the river walk. it will all lead to more circulation,” he said.

The plans also shows the use of the future flood embankments as a walk and cycle way. It also depicts new public realm spaces on O’Moore Street and the planting of trees.

The town would have a cohesive style for seating, signage, with rain gardens, bike parking, planting and street trees.

They suggest in the long term, an active travel hub in front of St Joseph’s Church with a bus lay by and shelter facilities in both directions, bicycle parking and maintenance facilities, EV charging stations and parking spaces for disabled.

Read also: Economic stagnation in Laois town with over 80 empty buildings

It suggests a trail head to the Slieve Bloom Mountains starting from the town's old train station, a 15 minute drive. They say locals also suggest a greenway along the old - since removed - railway line from Mountmellick to Portlaoise.

Opportunity sites highlighted include the secondary school, the old Whites shop site, the rear of Tirlán, and the Maltings site, owned by Laois County Council which they note has heritage and residential potential.

The draft plan follows similar plans written for Rathdowney and Mountrath, which have already brought funding to improve those towns.

The plans are on public display until Friday, July 11 in Mountmellick Library and the MDA. The final plan is hoped to be adopted by September.

Download the plan here   Submissions can be made online at this link or by email to LS-TownRegeneration-Team@laoiscoco.ie  or on paper posted to the Town Regeneration Officer, Laois County Council, Áras an Chontae, JFL Ave., Portlaoise, Co. Laois R32 EHP9 up until Friday 11 July 11 at 4pm.