Roscrea's Masterplan will futureproof the heritage town

Roscrea is Ireland's third oldest market town with a heritage built on being at the crossroads of the nation's business and culture - and now there is an opportunity to have your say on the Town Centre First Masterplan which will shape the next chapter in Roscrea's story and future-proof the town for demographic and social change.

Roscrea is the first in Tipperary and one of 26 towns across the country that has received funding to develop a Town Centre First Masterplan, which aims to map out future development, focus on tackling dereliction and vacant properties and make the town centre a more attractive place to live, work, socialise and run a business.

The process is currently underway and is supported by Tipperary County Council and the Roscrea Town Team, which was formed in January 2023.  A new Town Champion has been appointed and the Council’s Town Regeneration Officer will work closely with the Town Team over the coming months to deliver a new Plan for Roscrea.

A team of consultants led by O’Mahony Pike Architects have been commissioned by Tipperary County Council to create a plan which will guide the regeneration of the town and provide the basis for future funding applications by the Local Authority.

For the plan to best fit the needs of the town and those who live and work in it, it will be important to hear from the people it is designed to help and so the Town Regeneration Officer and the Town Team have arranged for O’Mahony Pike Architects and KPMG Future Analytics to host two in-person consultation workshops.

Town Champion, Brian King said the workshops will directly feed into the development of the Town Centre Masterplan and provide a deeper understanding of the concerns of local people.

“We hope that the people of Roscrea will give their opinions and input into the Masterplan by participating in the workshops,” he said.

Town Regeneration Officer with Tipperary County Council, Áine Mc Carthy said local communities and local businesses can be central to re-imagining their own towns and planning their own futures.

“The town centre first policy is focused on supporting the town team of the local community in taking action to develop and regenerate the town” she said and she is encouraging people in Roscrea to engage and participate in the workshops to have their views heard.

Members of the community are invited to attend either workshop to give their views on Roscrea and learn about the project.

Location and Dates

The workshops will be held in the Black Mills, Church St. Roscrea.

The first Workshop is on Saturday, March 11, from 1:30pm to 3pm. The second Workshop is on Wednesday, March 15, from 7pm – 8:30pm. For those who cannot attend an in-person session there will also be an online workshop at 7pm, on Tuesday March 14.

There are also two online surveys available from March 1st to 22nd. One is for the Community, the other for the Business Sector and are open for contributions on the local authority website www.tipperarycoco.ie.