Last week’s sold-out public meeting in the Barbican Centre on housing, dereliction and revitalising Drogheda sent out a clear message to “the powers that be” that the public are fed up with the lack of action on this very serious matter and they are demanding action.
In what is after all a democracy, it now behoves central and local government authorities to act upon the wishes of the people and inject some urgency into dealing with these fundamental issues which are seriously affecting the citizens of, and visitors to, our heritage town.
Speaking after the meeting, Dom Gradwell of the Derelict Drogheda Action Group, who has been campaigning on the topic of vacancy and dereliction in Drogheda for several years, told Drogheda Life that the overall tone of the meeting was very positive.
“While some time was spent discussing the causes and scale of dereliction and vacancy, and its effect on Drogheda, particularly the town centre, the main focus of the discussion when it opened up to the floor was positive and progressive” he said.
“Strong cases were made for the introduction of the Living Cities Initiative or similar incentives to repopulate the town centre and there was a palpable sense in the room that whatever we have been doing to date has not been working for the catchment, so there is an appetite for collaboration and cooperation between all stakeholders to form a task force with the sole aim of revitalising the town.”
“Comparisons were made with Kilkenny and Westport and how they have managed to work collectively for the benefit of not alone business, but the social justice, sporting, education and artistic interests of their towns.
“Much of their success is down to the fact that their town centres have not been hollowed out and the belief is that if we can repopulate the town centre and make it a comfortable, safe place to rest, play and to work the possibilities are endless.
“There is a realisation that none of this can happen without support from local, central government and perhaps further afield in Europe, we just need to identify the funding pots and work together to maximise our chances.”
“Feedback from the floor on the night and since the event has been incredibly positive with a feeling that everyone who attended the event left energised, positive and focussed on the possibilities” he added.
Bobby McCormack, CEO of Development Perspectives who, along with Derelict Drogheda and other local organisations, are also eager to tackle the underlying causes of dereliction in Drogheda, said:
“For too long, our community has suffered and crumbled before our eyes, evidence-based decision-making is required and this was an important opportunity to involve and engage community stakeholders in this critical process.
“This event aimed to address the pressing issues of housing and the ongoing neglect in Drogheda. It sparked meaningful discussions on revitalising the area, allowing the attendees to hear from experts in the field, engage in discussions, and be active participants in tackling these important challenges head-on.”
Present at the meeting were representatives from many interest groups including Drogheda City Status Group, Drogheda East Meath Alliance, Drogheda4All, members of the business community and a director of the Drogheda Port Company.
