Regeneration revamp of Carrick-on-Suir's Main Street expected to start at end of 2026
That was the estimate Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District's Director of Services gave at a meeting of the District's councillors
The revamp of Carrick-on-Suir's Main Street under the town’s €18m regeneration scheme is expected to get underway in the final three months of next year, Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District’s July meeting was informed.
Carrick MD Director of Services Brian Beck estimated this fourth phase of the Regeneration Scheme will commence in the final quarter of 2016 when asked for a timeframe by Fianna Fáil Cllr Kieran Bourke at the district meeting in Carrick-on-Suir Town Hall.
He explained the Regeneration Scheme was divided into five phases with the fourth phase divided into two parts.
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The first part of this phase will be the creation of the Stable Lane Car Park off Chapel Street with the works on Main Street to follow after the car park is finished.
“We are very conscious of minimising the impact on businesses and residents in the town,” he told councillors.
Mr Beck said the design for the fourth phase was about 70% complete. The Council is looking to put this part of the Regeneration Scheme out to tender later this year to appoint a contractor but is waiting until it finished the second phase, which involves the revamp of Chapel Street, part of William Street, Castle Lane and the North Quay from Castle Lane to Dillon Bridge.
The facelift proposed for Carrick-on-Suir’s Main Street is the most controversial part of the Carrick Regeneration Scheme because of the plan to remove 21 car parking spaces from the street.
The Main Street Business Initiative, a group of traders, property owners, tenants and residents of Main Street and some adjoining streets, is concerned about the impact the loss of parking spaces will have on trade and footfall on Main Street.
It submitted a petition of 6,676 signatures to the Council in January calling for retention of the street’s existing parking.
The action group, which is also seeking the restoration of six parking spaces temporarily removed during the Covid pandemic, has also lodged complaints to a number of State bodies and agencies in relation to the Regeneration Scheme’s funding application and planning application process.
There is division, however, in the town on the issue.
Cllr Bourke said he put the question about when the Main Street works were to be done as local people were asking him because they were “enthusiastic” about the project.
He asked if the Council would consider using the same contractor for the second phase Chapel Street and fourth phase Stable Lane Car Park works because they are very much intertwined as Chapel Street will be the access route for the car park.
Mr Beck responded that to do this would delay the Regeneration Scheme’s second phase by six months.
District Administrator Marie Cox informed councillors in her report to the meeting that the Council is working towards appointing a contractor for the second phase in mid-August.
Meanwhile, work is continuing on the Regeneration Scheme’s third phase which is the transformation of the old Post Office on Main Street into an Enterprise & Digital Working Hub. This project is expected to be completed in November.