Age Friendly neighbourhood a key part of Roscrea's new plan

Plans to create a new street and Age Friendly housing development in the centre of Roscrea received a major boost with the announcement of €4.5-million to advance the project and begin construction early next year.

Roscrea's Gantly Road will soon become Gantly Street and several patches of undeveloped land are designated to accommodate a new Age Friendly housing development and potential new retail locations.

The project is one element of the overall Town First Masterplan for Roscrea, which was the first town in Tipperary to benefit from the new approach to project funding and implementation. Gantly Road currently has vacant plots to be repurposed subject to individual landowners wishes.

It is anticipated that work will commence next February with the appointment of a Project Team and it is intended to have construction completed by the second half of 2024.

It is hoped the project will support the regeneration of the Gantly Street area by "activating the land" with the Age Friendly Neighbourhood aspect seen as a key part of its success.

The project also incorporates enhanced cycle and walking facilities and will enable the housing section to develop an Age Friendly housing scheme at the core of the Town Centre.

Age Friendly Roscrea warmly welcomed the announcement and said local authority officials and public representatives should be "congratulated on this innovative and forward thinking development".

Founder of Age Friendly Roscrea, Anne Keevey, told the Tribune the ambitious project will have "such a positive impact - not merely for our older Roscrea citizens - but for the entire community".

"Living in a safe and manageable home is the cornerstone of a decent quality of life", Anne said and referred to the 2018 a study commissioned by Age Friendly Roscrea and undertaken by Dr. Pat Bogue of Broadmore Research and Consulting, which confirmed housing and housing options to be a key issue for older people in Roscrea.

"Older Roscrea citizens need and want to remain in their communities, in their own homes if possible but there must also be the option of living in a quality, accessible, centrally located home.

"These Age Friendly Homes will be designed so that they can accommodate whatever level of support or care might be required into the future. Let’s continue working together to make Roscrea an even better place to live and grow old", Anne Keevey said.