Voluntary group's work leads to renewed focus on Connaught Street

by David Flynn

There was a strong call from a public meeting on the future of Connaught Street for Westmeath County Council not to sell four houses on the street, before a regeneration plan for the area is unveiled.

Over 100 people attended the public meeting organised by the Connaught Street and Environs Regeneration Group in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel last Thursday night.

The meeting was opened by Arlene McNeill, who said the group is committed to respecting the local heritage of the street, but the overall focus is on the future of the area.

Committee member and architect Tim Dowling gave a presentation to the meeting about aspects of the street. He said the aims and objectives of the group are to act as a voice for and in the interest of Connaught Street and the environs, to help develop strategies for the future development of the street in conjunction with Westmeath and Roscommon County Council, and to “enhance and protect our heritage”.

“The council own buildings on the street and they plan to sell four of the properties and there is no regeneration strategy in place for Connaught Street but there is one in the works for several years,” said Mr Dowling. “We are still waiting for that plan and then individuals will be entitled to object and have their say.”

Mr Dowling showed a video to the meeting featuring Connaught Street residents past and present talking about their experiences of life there.

“There is a huge push towards increased urbanisation, and as people get older they want to move back into towns, and the space here should be maximised to its full potential,” said Gerry Macken, Committee Member. “I hope in five or ten years’ time we’ll be looking at a happy, vibrant, community.”

“We want to promote an area that doesn’t have county boundaries and there are plans for a joint urban plan between both counties, and people should keep an eye out for that and make submissions,” said Roscommon Independent, Cllr Emer Kelly.

“We need to focus on future planning and what we can create in Connaught Street for people who want to live and work in the area, and to shop locally.”

Former Athlone councillor, Ray Lennon said that having run a business in Connaught Street he has seen things from both sides.

“It’s important that Connaught Street is recognised as a retail hub, and it has served the west side for centuries with family run businesses and was a great social hub,” said Mr. Lennon. “It has been ignored for far too long and starved of investment and allowed to deteriorate for many years.

We welcome people coming to live in our street but it must be incorporated with the regeneration plan.”

Mayor Louise Heavin said the street is looking well due to the efforts of voluntary workers. “The council's outdoor staff have also helped out and I’ll be asking for it to continue, and to have more permanent greenage on the street,” she added.

Ava McManus said that the social media page for the group over the past two weeks has been fantastic, and she asked if it could be extended as a professional tool for existing businesses on the street.

“Could we tie into athlone.ie or whatever and try and promote the businesses and encourage people from the other side to venture across the water?” asked Ava McManus.

She also asked if grants could be given to pop up businesses for a month, to work in some of the closed up business places on the street.

Tim Dowling said the idea of a the group's social media incorporating business would be done in the future.

Cllr Aengus O’Rourke agreed the council should hold off on doing anything with the four buildings on the street, until the regeneration plan is in place.

“I spoke to the team in Westmeath County Council this week, and they are close to completing the Connaught Street chapter, and in mid-September they will be reaching out to the committee to bring it up to date,” said Cllr O’Rourke.

Dr Rose Kirby-O’Hanlon asked what was happening with the area’s environment and said that Connaught Street doesn’t end at the Battery Bridge.

Tim Dowling agreed that all other places surrounding are important and said that they are called the Connaught Street and Environs Community Group and they want to integrate with all in the area.

Jarlath Duffy said that some buildings are in a bad state and should be knocked down.

“Research shows that crime flourishes where there is dereliction and when you get rid of dereliction, crime goes,” said Mr Duffy. “There should be another meeting after this, because the follow ups are important.”

Cllr Frankie Keena said that there is no park for adults and children on the west side, and a linear park in Ranelagh would feed in well to what the Connaught Street group are working on.

“Hopefully there’ll be a meeting with the Regeneration Team very shortly about the next stage of that and also the Athlone Urban Area plan with South Roscommon will be something to feed into,” said Fianna Fail’s Cllr Keena.

“We hope by us showing confidence in the area, and putting in money, it will bring more investment and the goodwill is there, and the best business people in the town are on the Connaught side,” said Fine Gael’s Cllr John Dolan.

Minister Peter Burke also attended the Athlone meeting at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel.

“There are huge funds available through central government, a €2 billion pot and we have seen Athlone benefit from that already and if the local authority moves forward with regeneration plans for Connaught Street, I’ll be to the forefront working with national government to try and deliver a pot of money to bring life back into the street,” said the Minister of State.

Paul O’Shea told the meeting that the council made a decision over a year ago to turn properties on Connaught Street into apartments, and he asked why that hasn’t happened yet.

“There is planning permission granted for around 44 apartments on Connaught Street, when built (privately owned) and then there will be about one hundred people living in Connaught Street and without any regeneration, that will generate business,” said Mr O’Shea.

Mark Egan’s family ran businesses on Connaught Street for many decades and he now runs a Bed and Breakfast in the general area.

“Tourists ask me if it’s safe to walk down Connaught Street, and I say it is with a bit of apprehension, because you don’t see gardai walking down the street any more, and that physical presence could be a deterrent to anti-social behavior,” said Mr Egan.

“I’d like to see a situation which would make businesses setting up being exempt from rates for three to five years,” said Roscommon Independent, Cllr. Tony Ward.

Chrissie Killian gave the councillors present the advice to “measure twice before you cut once”.

“Measure the consequences of the advice of planners to look at the social and commercial implications because houses and apartments are wonderful but you need to think of the consequences of not having enterprises,” she said.

Joe Dowling was born in Chapel Street and he commented on Minister Burke saying that there is a lot of money being put into Athlone.

“But it’s all on the Leinster side of Athlone,” he said to a round of applause.

Former St Peter’s National School Principal, Darina Dolan-O’Meara grew up in Connaught Street, where her family had business.

“Connaught Street has a beautiful angle and when you stand at one end you don’t see the other, and it’s an architectural gem and it’s so tragic that it’s not being used in that way,” she said.

Tim Dowling agreed and said that the architecture and historical heritage is also important and that any successful plan should integrate that heritage.

Ms Dolan O'Meara also asked highlighted what she said was a lack of places to have a coffee and wondered if a mobile unit could be encouraged to visit.

“We want to see Connaught Street grow as a place for people to live and raise their families and there are a huge number of plans coming,” said Independent Cllr Paul Hogan.