Added time to submit views on Columb Barracks

The Land Development Agency has extended until July 30 the closing date for submissions on the regeneration of Columb Barracks in Mullingar.

The agency has held a number of webinars in order to hear the views of the community and local business – but decided to push out the final date for submissions to ensure there is the maximum opportunity for those with views to make them known.

“It doesn’t matter whether your submission is just a page – or even just a line,” says Declan Hayden, community liaison consultant with the Land Development Agency.

Because the original closing date for submissions was last week, a good few submissions came in towards the end of last week, he said.

“It is very difficult to be absolutely sure of who will run what yet. What we are hoping to do is develop a strong vision and plan and have that agreed by all,” Declan said, explaining that the advisory group established in January to help the LDA formulate a future for the barracks will be hoping to put the picture together by September.

Then the process of figuring how to make it all happen – including figuring out where the funding will all come from – will have to get under way, as well as a decision on who will manage the complex, he said.

The site at Columb Barracks comes to 9.9 hectares and a considerable amount of the barracks is preserved.

To read more about the regeneration or to make a submission see columbbarracksproject.ie.