Project Carlow 2040: A Vision for Regeneration

As a Carlow citizen and a business owner and significant employer in Carlow County, I would like to fully endorse our support for the Vision for Carlow 2040. I would sincerely hope that all public representatives would likewise endorse this plan to bring about a better quality of life in all senses for all the citizens of Carlow - at an economic, civic and social level. For too long, Carlow has been neglected in terms of its town development in comparison to its neighbouring counties - no doubt as a result of its low level political representation. The nett result of this is that Carlow , while being a place to live, is not a great place to live - lacking the same  lifestyle choices that are present in  other counties. This culminates in making Carlow a harder sell when it comes to recruiting & retaining skilled people for employment opportunities. Housing and amenities are insufficient to meet the expectations of a modern society. Action is required and the Vision for Carlow 2040 reflects this need and provides solutions to address this delta.

Therefore I sincerely hope that the Carlow Council submission is approved for their funding application. The citizens of Carlow deserve this investment.

Sincerely 

Caroline Kelly

Burnside Autocyl (Tullow) Ltd

While I fully support the overall ambition shown in this plan, I would like to address the suitability of the structures and spaces shown in proposed public amenity areas. Fully understanding that they are, at this stage, only possible schematics of what might be included, I feel the style is outdated and 'hard' i.e. concrete and steel and does not reflect either the rural nature of County Carlow or the very important issue of biodiversity and climate change. 

While there are some concessions to 'Greening' e.g. in barrack st.  there is only a cursory attempt to show Carlow as the Champion of Sustainable Development it aspires to be. 

Consideration of environmental issues in all aspects of the plan could ensure that Carlow truely is a place which considers and acts on all aspects of what we the people of Carlow need in terms of health and wellbeing in addition to economic stability

Thank you for your attention

I applaud the Carlow 2040 plan as a positive and transformational plan for Carlow town. It provides a good balance between aspirational vision and more practical and realisable goals. If this plan comes to fruition the town will certainly be a more attractive place in which to live, visit and conduct business.

Some thoughts on various sections of the plan:

• The Town Centre section gives me hope for the future of the town. Firstly it recognises the reality of where the town centre actually is today and not where it used to be. Secondly it shows ambition and vision. The Fairgreen Link and the proposed changes to Potato Market would give the town a huge boost and create a coherent and viable town centre.
• The plan identifies the importance of cycling and walking routes toward a number of the key principles. I feel we need to show more ambition and agression toward the provision of cycling facilities. There is no comparison between a painted line on the ground and a segregated cycle lane. Our European counterparts offer ample evidence that the way to attract a critical mass of cyclists in a town is to offer segregated cycling routes. We should aim to develop such a route around the town centre and gradually look to extend towards the outskirts.
• As a keen open water swimmer the proposed Water Hub and water activity centre are hugely welcome. They should offer facilities for swimmers (heated showers and lockers) combined with weekly testing of water quality during the summer. Other towns such as Drogheda and Fermoy have had huge success in attracting swimmers and bringing their rivers to life. There is a real opportunity to engage local swimmers and promote river swimming considering the town's inland location.

A Chara

In opening the “Project Carlow 2040 , A vision for Regeneration” the executive summary informs us that we are delving into an ambitious Regeneration Strategy for Carlow Town, something which contains transformational and aspiring ideas for the economic, social and environmental benefit of Carlow. 

The County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism CLG, having reviewed the draft plan, believe that it delivers in its promises and the biggest challenge ahead is to ensure that this roadmap to the future of Carlow is delivered and becomes a reality, turning Carlow into an even more innovative, ambitious and successful place to live, work, shop and socialise. It is essential that Carlow town centres are attractive places to visit if they are to succeed and thrive, and for too many years without a robust vision, the town was not in a position to secure the necessary investment to make this reality

There is a sense of honesty in the plan and its approach to looking at how the town has changed over the years, its future direction and how it links and connects with the various areas and resources of the town.  The vision presents a unique opportunity for Carlow to place health and wellbeing to the forefront of its future, allowing us to transition to a more sustainable and greener environment.

We do feel that there are several areas that need to be explored further, either within the final document or as supporting elements:

• The plan delivers a strong vision of the town centre, particularly around several key project areas.  It is imperative that there is strong consideration for the areas and streets that connect the specific project areas to ensure they match in with the fabric of the overall vision.  Areas like Dublin and Tullow Street have been slowly slipping for years and it is key that the can the economic outlook of these areas can be strengthened into the future.
• A significant challenge of all towns is in responding to the challenges relating to vacancy and underuse of buildings.  Carlow like many towns needs to further examine and draft a plan towards tackling the levels of vacancy both in on street and above street premises as the Project Carlow 2040 vision for regeneration does not fully address the complex challenges that exist in relation to addressing this issue.

In delivering the vision, we want to see that a range of considerations are contemplated, as these will help to ensure a vibrant town into the future:

• Everyone feels welcome: Streets must be welcoming places for everyone to walk, spend time and engage with other people. The best test for whether we are getting our streets right is whether the whole community, particularly children, older people and disabled people are enjoying using this space.
• People choose to walk and cycle: We all need to build regular activity into our daily routine and the most effectively way to do this is to walk or cycle for short trips or as part of longer public transport trips. People will choose to walk and cycle if these are the most attractive options for them.
• People feel relaxed: The street environment can make us feel anxious – if it is dirty and noisy, if it feels unsafe, if we don’t have enough space, if we are unsure where to go or we can’t easily get to where we want to.
• Clean air: Air quality has an impact on the health of every person but it particularly impacts on some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the community – children and people who already have health problems.  
• Not too noisy: Noise from road traffic impacts on our health and wellbeing in many ways, it also makes streets stressful for people living and working on them as well as people walking and cycling on them.
• Places to stop and rest: Regular opportunities to stop and rest are essential for some people to be able to use streets on foot or bicycle because they find travelling actively for longer distances a challenge. Seating is therefore essential for creating environments that are inclusive for everyone as well as being important for making streets welcoming places to dwell.
• People feel safe: Feeling safe is a basic requirement that can be hard to deliver.  
• Things to see and do: Street environments need to be visually appealing to people walking and cycling, they need to provide reasons for people to use them – local shops and services, opportunities to interact with art, nature, other people.
• Shade and shelter: Shade and shelter can come in many forms – trees, awnings, colonnades – and they are needed to ensure that everyone can use the street whatever the weather.

The Chamber is dedicated to fostering a thriving county and is a catalyst in the promotion and progression of the town, county, and region. We support the economic and social development of County Carlow through our work with other stakeholders and businesses, our proactive approach to policy development, and our lobbying to impact decisions that benefit the region. 

As advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals, the Chamber is pleased to see that the vision delivers measures in support of these Goals, in particular Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.  Especially now as we deal with the global pandemic and its lasting impacts, the threat to cities and communities needs to be addressed to support public health, the economy, and the fabric of society.

The biggest challenge facing Project Carlow 2040 in our view is securing the funding and investment to deliver on all aspects of the vision.  In the past Carlow failed to move forward due to the lack of a clear vision and direction for the town, however the Chamber is now confident that this vision is sufficiently robust, ambitious and innovative to capitalise on the opportunities as they arise.  The biggest challenge ahead lies in ensuring that this vision turns into reality.

Should you have nay queries, please do not hesitate to contact me [Redacted: Contact Information]

Regards

Brian O'Farrell

CEO, County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism CLG

As a Carlow woman and business owner I would like to applaud the Carlow 2040 Plan as ambitious, transformational and resoundingly positive for the future of our town centre and indeed county overall. The plan is far reaching and uniquely forms long term strategic objectives for our county and main town that have been lacking in previous plans.

The enhancements proposed for the town centre will encourage town centre living, develop a sustainable approach to urban re-generation and add a commercial vibrancy not seen in Carlow for the last decade or so. With funding granted for this plan we could see a generational transformation of Carlow that will undoubtedly lead to economic growth, enhanced business opportunities, population growth and prosperity.

The funding for this visionary plan, will allow Carlow become a centre  for education, commercial and business activity and overall develop Carlow into a truely great place to live.  Carlow needs to be attracting new people to come to work, to educate themselves and live here. Our current offerings in terms of lifestyle choices and developed amenities fall short in comparision to some other neighbouring urban centres. This plan attempts to address some of our shortcomings and if funding is secured will assist employers to attract and retain key skilled people, eductors and professionals.

I would like to particularily praise the following elements of the plan:

a) Recognition of the key role the river Barrow should play in the development of the town as a fantastic amenity and centre for commercial activity on its shores.

b) The overall collaborative approach that has been taken by the council in developing this plan - by identifying solutions to many of the past problems experienced by raders, retailers, tourists and citizens. While some issues will require further work, overall the plan is innovative and far reaching while all the time focused on a long term vision.

c) The recognition of the linkage required between the Fairgreen and the rest of the town to develop the overall urban centre of Carlow. This is something that should have happened years ago and I'm delighted to see forms part of the first phase of the plan.

d) The recognition in the plan of the potential available to Carlow in terms of its abundance of opportunity vacant sites. These sites both in the town centre and environs, provide the mechanism to significantly enahance Carlow's economic future-  through joint private and public investments. The many vacant sites in Carlow offer scale and potential to facilitate significant employment generators for Carlow.

e) The recognition in the plan for enhanced connectivity between existing educational insitutes and the town core. This is key to maximising the potential of the future classification of Carlow IT with university status - and hence making Carlow a university town.

Once the town starts to become a leading light in vibrancy - great things will begin to flow -the economic ripple effects will be seen throughout the county. Carlow has been neglected and forgotten about for too long in terms of town development and the time has arrived through this request for funding to begin addressing this.

Carlow cannot be left with another plan housed in an archive or on a shelf with no investment followed up. The business community is strong and resilient in Carlow and has battled against the odds for over a decade to keep our town and county alive. The people and businesses of Carlow need this investment for the future viability of our county.

I urge decision makers involved in this funding process to visit our county and town and it will be clear on arrival how transformative the funding for this plan would be to our economy and to the citizens of Carlow.

I sincerely hope and wish that the County Carlow Submission for funding is advanced for approval.

Submitted by Email. Please see attached file.

Submission received by email. Please see attached document.

Submission received by email. Please see attached document.

I just wanted to write to lend my support towards the Project Carlow 2040 Masterplan for Carlow Town.

The plans certainly look exciting and will bring a lot of opportunity to the town and surrounds.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Carlow County Council and the Enterprise Office for all their hard work in pulling this exciting vision for Carlow together. Sometimes there is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes that does not always get recognition, so thank you to you and your colleagues.

All the best with this plan and if there is anything I can do in my capacity as a TD please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Kathleen Funchion TD

Sinn Fein Spokesperson on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration

Submission received by email, please see attached document.

The Tullow Road Community Development Group welcomes the strategy set out in The Project Carlow 2040 Draft Masterplan. Best wishes and success for the future to all involved,

Kind regards,

Nina White, Chairperson and Alan O'Dwyer

Submission received by Email:

This proposed regeneration plan is to be welcomed and highly commended. The core of Carlow town has visibly deteriorated over the past decade or so. It has been characterised by ‘dough nut’ development where the core of the town centre has been hollowed out. There are numerous reasons for this, some structural, but it has been facilitated by poor or misguided planning decisions by the local authority. Furthermore, the streetscape across the entire town is pockmarked by dereliction; some poor quality developments in terms of design and materials; some notable building developments of a scale that are incongruous to their surroundings; and a failure by some owners to maintain the appearance of their property. For balance, it should be noted some high quality work including those at Carlow College and the town park / flood relief works deserve commendation.  However, Carlow as a town which enjoys positive features as listed in the consultation prospectus, has a built environment that less than the sum of its parts and is punching well below its weight in certain aspects as a result.            

Some elements of the proposal are commendable in the scale of their ambition including: greater (new) linkages across parts of the town; centerpiece public realm design elements; reducing the primacy of the car; greater greening of the urban spaces and a focus on brownfield regeneration of the town centre.  

This strategy is absolutely correct in that it seeks to place coherent urban planning and design as the anchor for development, rather than ad hoc speculative developer-driven interventions. What should be clear – as is the case in any town or city that is well planned and pleasant to live in – is development will need to adhere to the overall planning and design framework and consistently play by these rules – rather than the other way around. The documentation mentions the lessons learnt from other successful urban centres - that the long term goals underpinning any initiative such as this need to be implemented consistently, and that continuity is vital – the key to successfully realising any plan. Accordingly, the Carlow local authorities should seek to engage suitably qualified architectural or urban planning staff to underpin this initiative, otherwise the impetus and quality of implementation will invariably wane.

By doing so over time, a virtuous circle will be created and Carlow can become an increasingly interesting and vibrant place for people to choose to live there, generating all kinds of positive social and economic externalities. It is striking that the population in the economically critically 20-34 cohort has declined to the extent that it has during the last census period.              

To conclude, the local authority and interested stakeholders are to be congratulated on having the vision and ambition to prepare such a planning and regenerative framework which has been informed by best practise elsewhere. If adopted and implemented, this has the potential to be transformative.          

Regards

Brendan O'Leary