Council update on €100,000 regeneration masterplan for Laois town

Experts in revitalising urban areas have bid for the €100,000 contract to draw up a masterplan for Rathdowney which will include efforts to tackle dereliction in the Laois town.

The project was approved for funding in late 2021 when the Government launched its Town Centre First policy.

Laois County Council’s Director of Services Donal Brennan has given an update to Cllr John King.

“Tenders are in from the consultants and we will be evaluating them in the next couple of weeks,” he said.

Mr Brennan told Cllr King that the successful bidder would be required to carry out extensive consultation with all stakeholders.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, announced €2.6 million in funding to deliver the first ever Town Centre First Plans in December 2021. A statement at the time said the funding will be key to tackling dereliction and revitalising town centres.

Rathdowney was one of 26 towns to be given funding.

Other towns in Laois have received funding for regeneration plans under different schemes.

The progress of the process was raised at the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District meeting.