Robinstown Plan "will go ahead" - Manager

Westmeath"s County Manager, Danny McLoughlin, is adamant that the Local Area Plan for Robinstown - designed to create a new 'sector' for Mullingar - will go ahead, despite a worsening recession.Mr. McLoughlin admitted this week however that the plan - which, in tandem with plans for Ardmore and Marlinstown, is scheduled for delivery in 2023 - is bound to suffer delays because of troubles in construction.Nevertheless, he added that it was 'always a long-term strategy'.Mullingar East county councillor Mick Dollard, also speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, said that although the future of the Robinstown Plan 'hinges on developers', the town 'can"t stand still', despite dire prognostications about the coming years.'Notwithstanding where we find ourselves, it is incumbent on us as a planning authority to take a broader perspective on things, and to continue to proactively plan for the future development of Mullingar and the county,' the County Manager said, when asked if he was concerned that the deterioration of the economy would impact negatively on the Robinstown plan, as well as its related plans, in the long term.'In that context, Robinstown is foremost in our minds, and continues to enjoy the status of a "development area", which will be given priority investment by government.'Mr. McLoughlin said that Mullingar is fortunate that Robinstown is one of thirty such key development areas in the country, and so will remain at the forefront of any government planning over the next twenty years.The fifteen year plan for Robinstown came into effect in 2008, and already, the infrastructural development on which the plan relies heavily has advanced at pace, regardless of the downturn.'The entire area will benefit from connectivity with the Mullingar Sewerage Scheme later this year, while a further allocation of €1 million is available in 2009 to progress the development of the internal spine road,' the Manager said.'Unfortunately, we were unable to avail of funding last year because of delays associated with the compulsory purchase order, and the associated appeal, but it"s encouraging that funding is coming, albeit at a reduced level.'Conscious that successfully executing the plan depends on having developers on board, Mr. McLoughlin said that in order to 'maximise accessibility and development opportunities', the Council intends to go to planning in the next few weeks, with a view to constructing an access from the Harbour Road side of the Robinstown lands.'In overall terms, I am happy that we will have fully serviced, accessible lands available for development when the market returns,' he remarked. 'While it will take longer that originally anticipated, it was always a long-term strategy.'Plan "hinges on developers"Although expressing regrets about the timing of the recession, and the obvious impact on the area plans in Mullingar, Labour councillor Mick Dollard remained similarly upbeat.'We can"t cry into our drink,' said Cllr. Dollard, who also serves as Chairman of Mullingar Town Council. 'I"d be confident that the length of the plan will carry us through the tough times.'In recent months, we"ve secured funding to complete the road network opening up the lands at Robinstown, and of course we have the mains drainage scheme which also serves Robinstown, and this all part and parcel of the jigsaw.'Cllr. Dollard expressed regret that the present County Manager hadn"t been installed 'six or seven years ago', and that the area plans, as well as retail developments such as "Central", weren"t allowed to progress earlier.'The County Manager is a man who is very enterprise-driven, very innovative, and has huge experience in local government, and it"s a pity we didn"t have his influence for a longer period of time prior to the downturn,' the Labour man said.With the infrastructure secured, and the new Mullingar sewerage scheme progressing nicely, Cllr. Dollard said that the execution of the Robinstown plan is at the mercy of the economy.'The rest of the plan hinges on developers, but Mullingar can"t stand still. Its potential will only be fulfilled when the mains drainage scheme is complete, and at that point, more things can happen.'Things will improve, and we have to remember that unlike the Marlinstown and Ardmore plans, the residential aspect is very low key in Robinstown.'Pointing out that there are 'over 800 housing units vacant in Mullingar at present', Cllr. Dollard said that area plans such as Robinstown are important to switch the development focus to industry and leisure.'It doesn"t matter if the plan ends up taking 25 years to be realised, but the Council will do what needs to be done and, if necessary, look at changing the zoning of certain lands,' Cllr. Dollard said.CommittedThe development of sport and leisure facilities to the east of Mullingar town plays a major role in the Robinstown initiative. The long-term vision for the Robinstown sports campus includes the potential relocation of Cusack Park and the Mullingar Greyhound Racing Stadium to the east of the town, and on the Council"s end, the construction of a state-of-the-art, integrated sports centre at Robinstown.Last year, the Council failed to secure Gateway Innovation Fund monies for this development, and despite the crisis with the national coffers, the County Manager said that he remains committed to delivering the sports centre.'We have invested substantial time and money in this project for good reason,' the Manager said. 'We have assembled twenty acres and advanced it the to final design stage.'This project is a vital piece of social infrastructure, which will contribute greatly to the quality of life of the town, particularly with a view to engaging the hearts and minds of our youth.'While the current swimming pool has served the town well, it is not capable of meeting present demands or expectations, much less that of an expanded town. In addition, the consultation process we engaged in showed clearly the need and support for the range of facilities we hope to provide, including additional pitches, indoor courts and a fitness centre.'Mr. McLoughlin admitted that funding sources for the centre have 'dried up', but pointed out that the Council has set aside additional capital as 'priming finance' should this change, or if public sector borrowing is permitted.At this stage, the Manager said that it was more likely that the centre will progress 'on a modular basis, with the pool and leisure elements being prioritised'.'These elements would, apart from addressing quality of life issues, also provide 30 jobs. It is appreciated that at this point in time, projects of this nature are the farthest thing from people"s minds, but we should not give up on our ambition for this town,' said Mr. McLoughlin.An Bord Pleanála"s recent decision to refuse St. Oliver Plunkett"s Hurling Club permission to build a new venue at Curraghmore, Mullingar - which put the kibosh on plans for a new school at a greenfield site in Curraghmore - also had some ramifications for the Robinstown plan.Had the Plunkett"s development proceeded, it would have facilitated the sale of the club"s lands at Robinstown, freeing up more land for future development.'I see little value in doing a post mortem on An Bord Pleanála decisions, as their role as final arbitrar must be respected,' the County Manager told the Westmeath Examiner.'Nevertheless, in a broader context, I fear it will go down as a missed opportunity.'In so far as it impacts on the Robinstown plan, we will work with St. Oliver Plunkett"s to try and facilitate the realisation of their ambitions, and at some point, we will have to plan around their continued presence or their relocation, and the sooner that is known, the better.'