Longford County Council welcomes Longford Town Masterplan funding

Press Release

20 December 2021

Longford County Council is delighted to welcome the news that €100,000 has been allocated to the development of a unique Longford Town Masterplan.

The new initiative involves the development of Town Centre First (TCF) Plans as part of Our Rural Future – the Government’s five-year strategy to revitalise rural Ireland. The Town Centre First Policy and associated funding was announced recently by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD.

Longford’s allocation is part of a €2.6 million fund nationwide that has been ringfenced to support 26 towns in mapping out their future development, revitalising town centres and tackling dereliction.

Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Peggy Nolan has warmly welcomed the announcement, stating that it comes at a very timely point. “Longford County Council is already embarking on a major body of work in 2022 in the form of the €4m Longford Connected Project which is underway, and the €14m Camlin Quarter Regeneration Project, which is projected to start, conditions permitting, later in the year. All of this work is part of a holistic joined-up plan for the regeneration of Longford Town’s public spaces.”

She added, “This further €100,000 is going to help us build on those plans, prioritising efforts to bring even more residents back into the heart of Longford Town which is the way forward - because we all know it is a great place to live, work and do business.”

Welcoming the funding, Chief Executive Paddy Mahon said, “There is a strong track record of collaborative work in Longford Town between Longford County Council and the local community, which has already yielded great results. We look forward to continuing to work closely with all of those stakeholders, and more, to develop the Town Centre First Plan and hopefully unlock further opportunities for future investment in Longford”.

The TCF plans aim to address key emerging issues like dereliction and vacancy as well as the opportunities presented by remote working and climate change for example. Full details of the towns that have been selected under this first call

Longford County Council will now work closely with local community groups, retailers and relevant stakeholders in Longford Town to devise, deliver and support the objectives of the TCF plan.

Notes to editors: 

  • These Plans (to be known as Town Centre First Plans) will be central to the delivery of the Town Centre First Policy at a local level as they will chart the path forward for the revitalisation of each town as a desirable place to live, work, socialise and operate a business.
  • Funding of €100,000 will be provided to each of 26 towns for the development of a Town Centre Plan; the funding will also cover any underlying analysis that must be undertaken to inform the development of the plan or capacity building required locally for the Town Team. It is expected that funding will be provided for the development of plans in additional towns as the Town Centre First Policy is launched and fully operational.
  • The process of creating the Plan is a collaborative exercise, supported by the relevant local authority, that will involve stakeholders such as community representatives, local residents and business people, and other stakeholders as part of a Town Team.
  • The Plan should explore a Vision for the future direction of the town which is focussed on the town centre and immediate surroundings or focused on a specific agreed area within the town. It should emphasise “placemaking”, town-centre living, the social and economic purpose of the town, and respond to emerging opportunities such as those linked to remote working, climate action and digitalisation.
  • The Plan should include detailed background information, which is key to understanding the town and setting the vision for the future, and present proposals for future projects/developments within the specified area.
  • Each TCF Plan will subsequently provide a basis for the town to seek support from multiple funding streams [including the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Town & Village Renewal Scheme], help to maximize the return from State investment, and offer an opportunity for the delivery of a coordinated programme of investment for an area.
  • Under ‘Our Rural Future’ and ‘Housing for All’, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are committed to publishing a new Town Centre First policy to support the revitalisation of our towns.

Our Rural Future

Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious, and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas.