Public reps hoping for ‘yes’ decision on Kinnegad business park

A boost to Kinnegad’s future is anticipated with the development of the new Atlantic Enterprises business park in Kinnegad, on which a planning decision is due this Friday.

In April, the firm lodged an application with Westmeath County Council to build two warehouse/light industrial buildings comprising just under 6,000 square metres of floorspace on a four-acre site adjacent to the M4.

At the June meeting of Westmeath County Council, Cllr Denis Leonard formally proposed that the district “actively engage” with Atlantic Enterprises Ltd to ensure the potential of the park is maximised.

The written response provided by the district stated that the Local Enterprise Office’s view was that Kinnegad was “an excellent location” for the development, since, given its location - approximately 60km west of Dublin - it served as a major gateway to the West.

It concluded by stating that LEO Westmeath would work with Atlantic Enterprises Ltd to ensure that the potential of the new business park in Kinnegad was maximised to facilitate local business and to provide much needed local employment.

Stressing how important a successful business park would be, Cllr Leonard said that what “kills” Kinnegad, and many other rural towns, is the stream of cars leaving it at 6am each day.

Cllr Emily Wallace said the development represented an opportunity the area needed to grasp with both hands, while the mayor, Cllr Niall Gaffney, said the potential lift the project represented to the area would be “absolutely massive”.