Plans to create a new street in Roscrea upsets local traders

PLANS to create a new street and housing development in the centre of Roscrea have caused concerns for local town centre based traders, who fear the business heart of the town might be displaced.

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.

However, local businesses are not entirely happy with the direction the local authority plans to take Roscrea town centre and according to one local elected representative, fear Roscrea will “become like Portlaoise” and the business heart of the town will move outwards.

Elected representatives also criticised the local authority for shifting the focus to a new project before finishing the last - citing the recent redevelopment of Market Square not extending further along Castle Street and Main Street as a main concern.
The monthly meeting of the Municipal Council for the Roscrea area received a Chief Executive's presentation detailing the Part 8 plans for the development of the Gantly Street area.

Councillor Noel Coonan (FG) told the meeting that traders in Roscrea's centre have expressed concerns that inadequate connectivity between Main Street and the proposed Gantly Street will lead to dramatically less footfall for their town centre based businesses.

Cllr. Coonan explained that the main channel for pedestrians currently linking Main Street and Gantly Road is private property and only opens between 8am and 6pm from Monday to Saturday to facilitate the two businesses located there (known as Gantly Lane).

Those two businesses “don't want the access to their places becoming a walkthrough”, he told the meeting.
“There is lots of concern in Roscrea about Main Street not being finished properly and local businesses need assurances that Main Street and Castle Street will continue to be developed”, Cllr. Coonan said.

Following the presentation by Executive Planner, Fergal O'Donnell, Cllr. Coonan quizzed the executives about why some access points are in the plans, but no consultation has taken place with local business owners.

Roscrea based FF Cllr. Michael Smith, said the next phase of Main Street's development should be completed first - “but now we're looking at Gantly Road”.

“The town needs connectivity and I would much prefer to see Main Street finished and then onto Castle Street”, Cllr. Smith said, adding that during the Part 8 process the business community in Roscrea and the local Chamber of Commerce will have an opportunity to thoroughly examine the plans before any works take place.

Senior Executive Planner, Anne Marie Devaney, said the aim of creating Gantly Street is to revitalise Main Street and the town centre as a whole.

She explained the development of Main Street and Castle Street will proceed as part of the Roscrea Enhancement Plan, and that funding for the development of Gantly Street comes from Rural Regeneration and Development Fund for under-developed lands.

“We will continue to examine what other funding streams are available for the continued development of Main Street. This Part 8 for Gantly Street is for the realignment of the road and to make it a street.

“This project is a small element of the overall Masterplan for Roscrea and there are multiple vacant plots here that will be subject to individual landowners wishes in relation to access points and what the lands are used for”, she explained.

“The housing element will be the next phase and access points from Main Street will be at a later stage,” Ms. Devaney told the meeting.

The Part 8 was proposed by Councillor Shane Lee and seconded by Councillor Smith .