Plan to help threatened insects by creating Floral Corridor in Birr

A “Floral Corridor” is to be created between Birr Castle and Birr town centre.

The news came to light when County Councillors were discussing the draft Birr Local Area Plan during a special sitting of the County Council on January 23.

The Chief Executive of the Council, Anna Marie Delaney, told the councillors that the concept of creating a “Floral Bridge” in the Birr Castle vicinity “is supported” by the Council executive.

Section BGIP-05 of the Local Area Plan states that the Plan will “support the development of a floral corridor concept that involves designing and constructing, through the co-ordinated planting of trees, flowers and shrubs, a physical linkage of scale between the Castle grounds and the centre of the town taking into account local traffic safety.”

The councillors said they strongly support this concept because it's positive and will be beneficial for the appearance of the town. It's planned that the Corridor will run from the Castle to Wilmer Road Car Park.

 Floral Bridges and Floral Corridors not only add beauty to our urban landscapes. They also help bees and other pollinators suffering from habitat loss.

  The Floral Corridor is one of a wide range of excellent ideas contained in the Local Area Plan. Part of the draft LAP was also inspired by the Birr Public Realm Plan of 2009. The Realm Plan remains an important document. Among the proposals which have been carried over from the Realm Plan into the LAP are the following:

To create strong connections with Birr town and castle via Church road using St. Brendan’s Old Churchyard as a node in between. Integrate the town with Camcor River. Improve the quality of small neighbourhood spaces.

“Significant progress,” states the LAP, “has been made on enhancing the town of Birr since production of its public realm plan in 2009. Emmet Square now features an attractive pedestrian space for people and events, with defined parking and traffic routes. Visitor numbers to Birr Castle, Gardens and Science Centre have risen dramatically through much investment there. Many of the town’s fine buildings have undergone improvements and restoration, enabling them to contribute far more positively to the public realm of Birr. Other successful projects delivered have included the William Street car park, frontage improvements and the addition of high quality street name signage around the town delivered by the Chamber of Commerce.”