By Dan Walsh
The eagerly awaited Enniscorthy Town Centre First Plan, one of the first in the country, was completed and collaboratively adopted by members of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council last January, details of the plan were explained at a well-attended public consultation meeting held in Riverside Park Hotel last August, and the Plan will be officially launched at Enniscorthy Castle today (Thursday)at 6pm.
The draft Plan came to the attention of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council members in December 2022, when it was discussed ‘in committee’ as members insisted on reviewing the content before it entered the public domain. It was adopted by the district Council in January and in February it was given the ‘green light with no objections’ at a meeting of Wexford County Council.
The Plan promises that; “Enniscorthy Town Centre will be a safe, accessible and attractive place for all, including children, older people and families,” and targets include “the reuse and refurbishment of vacant homes and vacant residential floors of mixed-use buildings, and to eliminate the effective vacancy in the housing stock in the Town Centre by 2040.” The Plan also aims to “transition to active travel and eliminate traffic dominance in the Town Centre as a critical condition for regeneration”; “to prioritise pedestrian movement in the Town Centre” and “to develop a sustainable traffic management strategy for the town as a measure to eliminate congestion and car dominance in the Town Centre.”
The Enniscorthy Town Centre First Team consists of the Cathaoirleach of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council, Cllr John O’Rourke, Niall Byrne (Enniscorthy Chamber of Commerce), Nicky Murphy (Enniscorthy Traders Association), Colm Neville (Visit Wexford Tourism), Mico Hassett (Culture), Dervla Tierney (Enniscorthy Community Forum), Syl Hipwell (Enniscorthy Garda Division), Margaret Nolan (Industry), Kieran Donohoe (FDYS Youth), Clare Ryan (WLD), Maria Nolan (Sports), Mick McCormick (Town Regeneration Officer) and Claire Lawless (District Manager, Enniscorthy Municipal District).
The launch of the Plan is generating strong interest in the town and tonight we will learn exactly what the Plan contains and then the search for funding will be the real activation of presenting the ‘new image of Enniscorthy town centre.’
WexfordLocal.com 