Laois 'satellite town' to form Town Team and seek development cash

A town meeting is coming up for Ballylinan in Laois to plan positively for its growing future.

The community is being urged to attend a meeting next Tuesday evening, July 16.

Volunteers are needed to form a Town Team to guide development and add infrastructure into what a local councillor says has become "a satellite town for Athy".

Cllr Aisling Moran spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"There have been many more houses built recently in Ballylinan, it is nearly a satellite town for Athy, but we could end up with just housing and no infrastructure. It's growing constantly.

"When a Town Team gets set up, they first identify what is needed in their area, in a positive, proactive way.

"Then they commission a report, which I hope can be done by the business students at SETU university in Carlow at no cost.  Stradbally used the university for their town health check and Ballylinan I'd say has a bigger population. However we are caught with a deadline of the end of September. 

"I have spoken to Denise Rainey, the Regeneration Officer in Laois County Council and she got €10,000 funding for Ballylinan to start this process.

"The team needs to be a group of eight to 10 people, aged anything from 18 to 80, living in Ballylinan, with a good representative mix, and the same goal, to develop it properly.

"The report will include a survey of local people and businesses. It identifies vacancies and what the town needs. Then when the report is done, you have it to apply for grants," Cllr Moran explained.

The meeting will take place in St Anne's Hall, Ballylinan at 8pm on Tuesday, July 16.

"I really hope we get a good turnout. Ballylinan is a great community where everyone pulls together for any event. It's important that we all pull together with this, to put in infrastructure for kids, for the elderly, for the future," Cllr Moran said.