Tullamore Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan and Town Regeneration Framework Launched

Offaly County Council with Waterways Ireland, Consultants Brady Shipman Martin / Faulkner Browns and Grafton Architects are seeking your views for the future of Tullamore. To ensure that the Tullamore Regeneration Framework and Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan meets the aspirations of the whole community the team would like to hear from all stakeholders within the local community of Tullamore.

The Tullamore Regeneration Framework and Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan are Funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund 2020 (URDF), co-funding by Offaly County Council and by Waterways Ireland for the Harbour Masterplan.

The Tullamore Regeneration Framework and Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan are available for inspection in the offices of Offaly County Council, Áras an Chontae, Tullamore Municipal District, Tullamore Library during normal office hours from 13th of June 2024 to 11th July 2024. The reports are available on www.Offaly.ie (direct links below).

Tullamore Regeneration Framework

The Tullamore Regeneration Framework positions Tullamore Town Centre at the forefront of the town’s future development. It aims to serve as a model for regeneration, promoting compact growth, creating healthy and appealing public spaces, enhancing urban resilience, improving permeability, fostering vibrancy, and encouraging sustainable mobility. The multi-disciplinary consultancy team in Brady Shipman Martin and Faulkner Browns delivered the Framework to act as a main driver for compact mixed-use urban development within the town centre of Tullamore and seeks to establish a vision for the development of several key opportunity sites.

Tullamore Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan

The Tullamore Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan, jointly commissioned by Waterways Ireland and Offaly County Council, has provided the prism through which future transformation and regeneration of the harbour area can be envisioned. Grafton Architects as the appointed consultancy team, have culminated their assessment of the study area in a Masterplan that reimagines the harbour area through a catalogue of scaled development opportunities. The Masterplan study area also includes the Grand Canal Harbour and adjacent lands, the Canal Spur Line enabling access into the harbour basin, and Young’s Store – a three-storey former warehouse with an approximate floor area of 275 square metres fronting the canal along Convent Road.

Anna Marie Delaney, Chief Executive, Offaly County Council welcomes submissions on the Plans outlining “The Tullamore Regeneration Framework and Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan provide immense opportunity to Tullamore and the wider County to reimagine and reinvigorate the County Town. The plans address the opportunities and challenges within Tullamore and with URDF support creates opportunities for future projects in the Town”.

Éanna Rowe, Operations Controller with Waterways Ireland noted the significant milestone being reached with this consultation stage in finalising the Masterplan confirming “Waterways Ireland as the Navigation Authority with responsibility for the Grand Canal and Harbour in Tullamore was looking forward to the realisation of the Masterplan’s vision and that its adoption will provide a framework and template for the full integration of the harbour into the fabric of Tullamore.” Mr. Rowe thanked Offaly County Council, the team of consultants led by Grafton Architects, the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government as well as all the stakeholders who had contributed to the process thus far.

Pauline Byrne, Brady Shipman Martin said, “The Tullamore Regeneration Framework is forward thinking, ambitious, and showcases creative designs for regeneration of Tullamore Town Centre. Utilising a multidisciplinary integrated approach, it encompasses the development of opportunity sites, public spaces and streets, traffic management, urban design and landscape design to formulate the Strategy for the Town. Key to the success of the plan has been Offaly County Council, the local community, and stakeholders who have come together to help shape and implement the plan.”

Yvonne Farrell, native of Tullamore and Shelley McNamara lead the team for Grafton Architects. Yvonne reflected “when I was a student at St.Philomena’s National School on Harbour Street, little did I think that years later, I would be part of a Design Team researching the Harbour, walled-in behind the school. The Masterplan re-images how this hidden treasure of national importance and unique character can contribute to the life and culture of Tullamore.”

Submissions or observations with respect to the proposed Tullamore Regeneration Framework and Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan Framework may be made in writing to Tullamore Municipal District, Town Hall, Cormac Street, Tullamore or submitted via email to tullamoremd@offalycoco.ie on or before 25th July 2024.