New green masterplan in the pipeline for Portarlington
Sustainable Energy Community initiative also launched in Laois Offaly town
A sustainable energy group in Portarlington is to seek funding, with Laois County Council support, to draw up an Energy Master Plan for the Laois Offaly town.
The Portarlington Business Sustainable Energy Community (PBA SEC) has submitted a Sustainable Energy Community charter to the SEAI.
It is now applying for funding for an Energy Master Plan for the town with the support of bridge financing from Laois County Council.
A statement said the new SEC has joined with the sustainable energy communities that were already registered by the Tidy Towns and the Portarlington Community Centre to form one effective SEC for the town.
The SEC has already set up traffic monitors on main roads through the town to register vehicular traffic in the town and gather data to inform future initiatives on sustainable transport for Portarlington.
It is also promoting active travel in the town, particularly for children going to school, and has submitted proposals to Laois County Council for safer cycle and walk ways in to the schools.
Independent TD Dr Cathal Berry says he has regularly attended the SEC meetings of the group which have been taking place weekly online for the past six months.
“It is great to see this initiative coming from the community itself and I commend and thank the members for the progress that has already been made.
“This group provides a template for other community groups taking the lead on other social change such as remote working,” he said.
The PBA SEC with a vision to build on the potential of Portarlington as a sustainable, thriving and energy efficient community and focusing on cross-community engagement to improve quality of life, reduce energy costs and safe-guard our cultural and natural heritage.
The Portarlington Business Association is a not-for-profit organisation set up by business people in Port for the advancement of community and economic development, including urban and rural regeneration, in Portarlington and its hinterland.
For more information, please contact Caroline Whitelegg (PRO) on 087 9065683 or [email protected].