Seven things we learned from the Thurles Local Area Plan draft

On Friday, Tipperary County Council published the Thurles Local Area Plan (LAP) draft.

The plan is for the period 2024 to 2030, and looks at what Thurles has and needs to ensure a high quality of life for the people who live, work in and visit the town. Sustainability, heritage preservation and collaboration are key factors in developing Thurles.

The LAP also brings together policies and strategies already in place like the Thurles Town Centre Renewal Strategy, the Tipperary County Development Plan and various others.

The plan in its draft form is open for public consultation until September 11, 2023.

This means you can read the plan on the Tipperary County Council website or from the civic offices in Nenagh and Clonmel.

If you have thoughts, concerns or feedback, you can submit them to the council for consideration in the final plan.

This week, we read the draft plan and here are seven things we learned.

1. Thurles is going to need way more homes

The LAP estimates that Thurles will need to accommodate a population of 10,057 by 2030.

From the 2022 social housing list, 399 people chose Thurles as their first choice of place to live. But just 193 of those are currently being accommodated under HAP.

The council estimates these factors will mean they need an additional 784 housing units during the lifespan of the plan.

While there is a current plans to deliver more homes in Thurles, te LAP draft estimates there will still be a shortfall of 118.

The LAP says they will have to be provided by the private sector.

Of those, 20% will need to be social and affordable housing.

2. Thurles has space for development

While Thurles needs a lot of housing, it also has resources yet to be tapped. According to the LAP draft, in June, there were 147 vacant buildings in the urban area of Thurles town.

Of those, 63 were residential, 59 were commercial and 25 were a mix. Schemes like Croí Cónaithe, the Buy and Renew and

Repair and Lease schemes will be essential for bringing these buildings into use again.

The council also believes that there is space in the town centre to develop upper floors of existing buildings. But they say cost, planning permission and ‘uncertainty’ are all barriers for private development.

They hope to support businesses to overcome these challenges to open up more residential and commercial space.

3. Thurles needs to support students

According to the LAP draft there are 1,000 students studying in Thurles between TUS and Mary Immaculate College.
It says public transport is good but there is a need for accommodation.

It says:

“Both institutions have plans for the growth of their campuses, which will require an associated increase in the supply of student accommodation.”

4. Thurles development will follow a ‘town first’ approach

The development of Thurles as a ‘key town’ will follow a town first approach. The aim is create a town where people can live, work and visit.

This will create employment, reduce the need for people to travel outside the area for services and make the area a more enjoyable place to be.

The ‘town first’ approach is a policy from central government. And to accomplish its aim, towns like Thurles will be provided with regeneration funding and their own plan.

There will also be ‘town health checks’ periodically to ensure the area has what it needs.

5. GAA heritage will play a central role in the Thurles Tourism Strategy

According to the draft LAP the existing tourism strategies in Tipperary will prioritise Thurles’s status as the home of GAA.
Semple Stadium and a potential ‘sports village attraction’ for children and young people GAA is not the only piece of Thurles history the LAP wants to show off.

According to the draft plan, new businesses that have a traditional storefront will be required to maintain them so they remain part of the town.

6. Sustainable of inclusive communities in Thurles

The draft plan says that Thurles has a lot of strengths but also areas of disadvantage.

It has a shortage of terrestrial employment opportunities and significant traffic issues.

To address this the LAP will look at developing residential areas close to services, support sustainable energy plans and work with the Active travel team to support walking, cycling and public transport options.

Thurles also has a higher than the county and national average number of people over the age of 65. 19.3% of the Thurles population is over 65%, and the old-age dependency rate is 30.93%.

According to the LAP draft:

“Bearing this in mind, age friendly development practices and suitable elderly living accommodation will be important considerations in the future growth and development of the town.”

7. Thurles is going to need more school places

Thurles is currently well served for schools, both primary and secondary. There are four primary schools in the town (and an additional two outside and four secondary schools.

But with a planned population increase to over 10,000 people by 2031, the LAP estimates an additional 274 primary places and 179 secondary schools places will be needed.

FEEDBACK

This is not an exhaustive list, and readers are encouraged to read the plan and the accompanying documents.
And remember to have your say before September 11, 2023.