Following funding awarded under the Rural Regeneration & Development Fund, Vincent Hannon Architects (VHA) were engaged to develop a public realm plan for Rathvilly entitled ‘Vision Rathvilly 2040’. The plan development process commenced in June 2022 and has involved a series of engagements with the public.
The Public Realm Plan has been prepared to act as a tool kit to assist and guide Carlow County Council in enhancing Rathvilly Village as a people-oriented, safe and legible place via identified public realm improvements. Appreciating the existing setting and assets of the village, a comprehensive baseline assessment was carried out and provides a foundation towards understanding what the village and its people need.
VHA led a hands-on engagement and consultation process with elected members, stakeholders, and local community members. The public realm opportunities presented within this document have been identified through engagement and consultation feedback throughout the course of the project.
At its core concept the plan is about the development of Rathvilly in terms of:
- Public space network
- Connectivity and permeability
- Parking and traffic
- Legibility/manoeuvrability
- Signage and Way finding
- History and heritage
- Tourist destination
The aim of the project is to develop a strategy for the village’s public realm, which can be used to identify and provide guidance for individual detail design projects. The plan will be visual and identify both short-term and longer-term projects. It is important to note that plan provides a gateway for funding and the concepts in the plan set out a proposed vision which would be subject to future consultation and detailed design.
Without an approved plan, Carlow County Council will be unable to apply for funding for Rathvilly for public realm works under a variety of schemes which require a plan lead approach.
The executive has followed a development pathway for the plan which has included public meetings, surveys, and other consultation events. Following approval of the plan further consultation will be required to develop a suitable scheme for application under either the Town & Village Renewal Scheme or Rural Regeneration & Development Fund at a future date.
The draft plan was considered by members of Tullow Municipal District at their meeting in June 2023 who requested the plan be placed on a non-statutory public consultation period. members of the public are requested to make submissions which will accepted on this platform only and a report on same will be placed in the appendix of the current Draft Report for consideration by the members at their September 2023 meeting.
Digital copies of the plan are available by request in Carlow County Council, Local Enterprise Office, O’Brien Road, Carlow or by e-mailing enterprise@carlowcoco.ie or by calling 059-9129783.