Carrick-on-Suir Regeneration Scheme works to start within next two weeks

Work on the €2.38m first phase of the €17.8m Carrick-on-Suir Regeneration Scheme is scheduled to start within the next two weeks following the signing of the contract for the project at Carrick-on-Suir Town Hall last week.

The first regeneration scheme project to get underway will be the revamp of Seán Healy Park on Carrick-on-Suir’s Clonmel Road.

The works will include the construction of new footpaths and hard paved areas at the park and widening of the Suir Blueway cycle and walking path as well as associated landscaping and services/utilities improvements.

Tipperary County Council has awarded the construction works contract for Phase 1 of the regeneration scheme to GLAS Civil Engineering Ltd., which is based at Kilheffernan near Kilsheelan.

The company is also the contractor for the Carrick-on-Suir N24 Pavement Scheme, an extensive upgrade of 3.8km of the national route running through the town that has been underway since August last year.

The €2,387,967 contract for the first phase of the Regeneration Scheme, which is called “A Journey from the Suir Blueway to Ormond Castle”, was signed at Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District’s Offices at Carrick Town Hall on Tuesday, October 24.

The project is being funded by the Rural Regeneration Development Fund and by Tipperary County Council.

Apart from the upgrade of Seán Healy Park, the first phase will involve a revamp of Castle Park, part of Castle Street and Strand Walk that runs behind the castle.

The Suir Blueway will be extended to connect to North Quay to provide cycleway and pedestrian linkages from Sean Healy Park to Ormond Castle.

The facelift of Castle Park aims to turn it into a paradise for pollinators with the planting of a wildflower meadow, more native trees and hedging.

New public lighting, resurfacing and widening of the park’s main footpaths and a new looped footpath providing a continuous circuit around the park are also proposed.

In relation to Castle Street, it’s proposed to upgrade the parking area on the section of the street next to Ormond Castle.

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Administrator Marie O’Gorman estimated the Regeneration Scheme’s first phase will take about 10 weeks to complete.

The Sean Healy Park works have been chosen as the first project to get underway so that it will be completed before the construction of the new Gaelscoil Charraig na Siúire school nearby gets into full swing.

Tipperary County Council says the Carrick-on-Suir Regeneration Scheme project has been developed over a number of years with invaluable support and input from Carrick-on-Suir Tourism and Economic Development Committee and multiple stakeholders and with extensive public consultation greatly influencing its design.

Malachy Walsh & Partners, Engineering and Environmental Consultants and Nic de Jong Architects, a leading provider of integrated design consultancy services with extensive experience in public realm schemes, were engaged by the council in 2021, initially to design the scheme and bring it to planning stage, and subsequently to design and oversee the works which will be rolled out in 5 separate phases.

It’s estimated the entire regeneration scheme will take between three and four years to implement.

The Department of Rural & Community Development allocated €14.39m Rural Regeneration Development funding to the Carrick-on-Suir Regeneration Scheme last November.

Tipperary County Council is contributing a further €3.6m in matching funding.

Tipperary County Council said it appreciates that this scheme could only be realised through financial investment by traders as a result of rates increases and the Rural Regeneration Development Funding.

“We look forward to the completion of this scheme that will connect the existing streets, spaces and facilities in Carrick-on-Suir town and underpin the long term vitality, viability and vibrancy of the town through a safer, enhanced and unique urban environment attracting tourism into the town.”

Cathaoirleach of Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Cllr Kieran Bourke said it was great news that the regeneration scheme is now starting.

He told The Nationalist he was surprised and delighted to learn from Tipperary County Council CEO Joe MacGrath at the contract signing that €30m overall is to be invested in Carrick-on-Suir during the roll out of the regeneration scheme. Irish Water will upgrade and replace old water and sewerage infrastructure in Carrick in tandem with the €17.8m regeneration works as they progress through the town.

Cllr Bourke said there was an “unbelievable” amount of public money being spent in Carrick-on-Suir at the moment, pointing to the ongoing upgrade of the N24, the Gaelscoil Charraig na Siúire building project and development of a new park at the Bogfield in Carrickbeg as examples of other investment projects in addition to the regeneration scheme.

“The upgrade of all the infrastructure is going to cause traffic disruption in the town.

“To be fair the people of the town have had their fair share of that with the N24 works but it will all be worth it in the end,” he said.