Louth County Council has signed a significant contract with a multi-disciplinary specialist consultancy to develop a Masterplan for public realm works identified in the Westgate Vision Project.
First launched by Louth County Council in 2018, the Westgate Vision Project is a regeneration project to provide a vision for Westgate as the gateway to Drogheda’s historic town and the Boyne Valley heritage sites.
When it was first launched in 2018 the idea was to develop the Westgate area of the town which includes Narrow West Street, the Old Abbey and Donaghy’s Mill into a vibrant new cultural quarter for Drogheda.
The 2018 brochure says that Westgate is the identifiable principal entry point to the historic town of Drogheda and the premier gateway for visitors to the Boyne Valley.
The consultants,Turley, were awarded the contract following a competitive tendering process and has been appointed to prepare a Masterplan for the area to recover the streetscape, transform Westgate and establish a positive regeneration dynamic in the broader town centre.
The Westgate Vision Project is funded under the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage’s Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF). Furthermore, the project will form the basis of future applications for funding under the scheme.
Joan Martin, Chief Executive of Louth County Council, said: “Louth County Council is proud to announce this positive next step in the Westgate Vision Project, which will enable us to look towards the further development of Westgate and the surrounding area. This regeneration project will allow the area to realise its full potential as a gateway to some of the county’s most significant and historic sites and attractions.“
Seamus Donohoe, Project Coordinator from Turley said: “A real opportunity exists to provide a world-class public realm scheme for Westgate, instigating a catalysing impact for positive regeneration of the area and creating a social and sustainable environment in the centre of Drogheda.”
Funding under the URDF aims to support more compact and sustainable development, as set out in Project Ireland 2040, through the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and National Development Plan (NDP).
It will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of cities and towns. This will ensure that more parts of urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live, work, invest and to visit.
Turley is a multi-disciplinary specialist consultancy service operating throughout Ireland and the UK. It has a team of experts that offer an integrated planning and design service to both public sector and private sector clients. Previous experience includes the Titanic Quarter in Belfast; Fort George, Derry; and the Carlingford Lough Cross Border Greenway.
CLICK HERE TO EE THE WESTGATE VISION BROCHURE PUBLISHED IN 2018
