“A perfect example to show town centre living in Carlow”.
So says Mayor Fintan Phelan of plans to renovate derelict houses along Barrack Street.
His comments came during last evening’s municipal district meeting where members were told that the proposal for seven units will be considered by each service area within the county council before being presented to elected representatives in September.
It would then move to a Part 8 process, which can take up to 20 weeks. (Meanwhile, see details of the Town Centre First here).
Mayor Phelan says It’s essential movement’s made on the project, telling KCLR News “The houses on Barrack Street, right in the centre of our town, they’re ideal for town centre living, they’re ideal for those elderly people maybe that would like to live close to local amenities, they’re also ideal maybe for people with various disabilities, right located in the centre of our town close to local amenities”.
He adds “I also stressed the need for the facade of those buildings to be maintained and to be kept the same as part of the social and cultural heritage of our town, I think it’s important that they’re maintained and restored”.
Mayor Phelan notes “They’re in such a prominent location in our town centre and I think you know they’re in the ownership of the council, we were waiting over the past year in relation to other developments around that area but I think it’s now critically important that the council advance those and bring them back into use, anyone would say to you that walking down Barrack Street they’re an eyesore and I think that is exactly what they are and I think they need to be moved and put back into use as soon as possible”.
And he says he’s keen to see things progress; “Immediately if those houses are brought back into use it’ll bring life, it’ll bring vibrancy, it’ll take away what is dereliction in our town centre and it’ll bring life back into Carlow Town, it can make a huge difference to the public realm in Carlow, there’s loads of studies done on if you live in a town that looks well, that presents well, that buildings are derelict it adds to your general mood and it adds to a general positivity about the town and I think these houses have the potential to do that”.
