GAMECHANGER: How national planning policies will change Tullamore

Since the adoption of the Tullamore Town Plan back in 2010, two national policies have emerged which will dictate future development and send it in a very different but exciting direction.

The National Planning Framework 2018-2040.

Unlike previous attempts at national planning strategies, the NPF is legally binding, backed by the funding stream of the National Development Plan and monitored by the Office of the Planning Regulator which will ensure that its broad policies are implemented.

The continued growth of Dublin is supported by the NPF but the doubling of the populations of the cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford is also envisaged. The development of the North West and Midlands Regions will be encouraged and Athlone will be a focus of growth. There was disappointment in Tullamore at this decision, but handled properly, it could yet be a blessing in disguise.

The main objectives of the strategy are the achievement of compact growth, sustainable mobility, enhanced amenity and heritage and transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society. These objectives have flowed down through the Eastern and Midlands Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2019-2031 and translated into the County Offaly Development Plan 2021-2027 which was ratified by the Members of Offaly County Council on the 21st September.

The Climate Action Act 2021

The recently ratified Act will be the driver of sustainable development in the next 10 years. Its initiatives will be mandated under the national Climate Action Plan and overseen by the Department of the Taoiseach. It will influence policies on roads, housing and dereliction by addressing all of these issues under the umbrella of decarbonisation.

The National Climate Action Plan will also lead to our first Carbon Budget, and this is where the real momentum for change will occur as those towns that recognize its opportunities will receive the most money.

Decarbonisation Zone

A particular objective of the Climate Action Plan is the identification in each county of a ‘Decarbonisation Zone’ which is defined as:

‘A spatial area identified by the local authority in which a range of climate mitigation adaptation and biodiversity measures and action owners are identified to address local low carbon energy, greenhouse gas emissions and climate needs to contribute to national climate action targets'

Tullamore has been put forward as the Offaly pilot scheme and the submission is currently with the Department for finalisation of the details. This most exciting initiative will presumably use the forthcoming Local Area Plan as the vehicle for installing appropriate policies and will incorporate the transportation proposals under the Active Travel plan, the ecological vision of the Living River project and include other actions including the conservation of Ballard Bog for carbon sequestration.

Car Journeys

A central concern in any decarbonisation plan will be the achievement of a significant reduction in the need for car borne journeys. This will be a challenge for Tullamore which has based its retail offer on three distinct and separate retail destinations remote from each other. Besides the town centre where most shopping and businesses are located, a new and separate retail destination is emerging at Church Road. Both centres are in competition with the isolated retail park at Cloncollog on the bypass and the only way to journey between the three is by car. A dedicated and frequent public transport link may be the only way of resolving this dilemma.

Most Irish towns have by now initiated local cycling routes to link schools,houses,central areas and rail stations. While € 500,000 has recently been allocated to Tullamore by the Active Travel scheme towards a first phase, a plan for an integrated cycling route has yet to be published.

Suggested Initiatives

Hopefully the Council will soon commence the process of making a plan for cycling and walking and my ‘Suggested Initiatives for the Town Centre of Tullamore’ ( illus.) is intended to stimulate a debate.

Amongst its other proposals are:

Protecting Tullamore’s wonderful and still intact 18th c. buildings and streets. Cormac Street/O’Moore Street and O’Connor Square/Church Street/O’Carroll Street should be designated as Architectural Conservation Areas.
Providing new attractive public spaces.The Council is already laying out a new plaza at the soon to be opened Arts Centre. Other potential locations could be centrepieces of comprehensive redevelopment schemes, including the Harbour, the Tesco/Texas site and the extensive Council Yard behind the Courthouse.
Encouraging prestigious new buildings at key or prominent locations such as the Council Yard and the vacant site at the High Street/Cormac Street junction. Waterside or parkland locations such as the entrance to the Harbour and the Tesco/Texas site are particularly suited to higher buildings.

A New Local Plan

The making of a Local Area Plan for Tullamore, particularly the creation of a new vision for the future of the town centre, is a step of historic importance which will introduce significant change. Public involvement is critical not just in its design but to ensure community support and confidence in its objectives and their achievement.

The Green Party started the public dialogue in June by hosting a symposium during which many good ideas emerged including:

The need for a strong neighbourhood focus for the northern suburbs
A more compact town centre
The linkage of the suburbs with the town centre, particularly the new Arts Centre, by cycling routes
The avoidance of further northerly sprawl and the exploration of ways to open up the lands south of the railway line.

Other concepts which might be discussed during the consultation process could include:

Identifying:

groups of trees worthy of preservation or suggestions for new landscaping schemes
street frontages where further widening of pavements to facilitate cafes and restaurants would be appropriate
new conservation projects such as the restoration of the house in High Street probably designed by the great architect Richard Castle
derelict sites or civic eyesores which should be ameliorated or infilled
sites for multi storey car parking to release valuable central land
locations for new public art

Investigating:

the provision of local energy initiatives such as solar farms or wind turbines
a route for a circulatory bus service
whether in the light of increased apartment living, a scheme for the provision of allotments would make sense
how the Living River Project could be integrated into the town by the provision of walkways, viewing points, swimming and fishing facilities
A town wide landscaping scheme as suggested by Frank Gibney in 1950

Public Participation and Local Authority Resourcing

While the Plan will be made by the Councillors on behalf of the community, it will be designed by a team of skilled town planners, architects,environmentalists and traffic engineers.The Council must ensure that sufficient resources, human and logistical are in place to ensure the delivery of what has the potential to be a gamechanger for the future of the town.Tullamore could yet be a leader in achieving a zero carbon environment at an early date while creating a beautiful town centre that would be a national attraction.

The commencement of the consultation exercise will present the opportunity for the people of Tullamore to determine the kind of place they want to live in. Active debate and involvement in the process is the best way forward.

Fergal MacCabe is an architect and town planner. The illustrations for these articles come from his forthcoming book on the Architectural Heritage of Tullamore 1700-1960