Sligo - News and Views

Gillie

Xiney wrote: »

As for the shopping centre/offices... aren't there a whole pack of empty offices in town? And I wonder if it's Aldi or Asda...

Yes there are. As far as I'm concerned the Chamber should have ensured these empty units were filled before there was a mass exodus to Johnson's Court!

One thing that's bugging me. There are signs around Sligo suggesting I go to the Erneside to do my shopping. Now I know that in the current climate it is quite favourable to do your grocery shopping across the border but are their signs for the Quayside & JC in Enniskillen or anywhere for that matter?

Just think we should be promoting oursleves in other towns - especially since we seem to be advertising on behalf of other areas like the Erneside.

Just a thought really!

Gillie

From this weeks Weekender:
Part of controversial plan gets the go ahead

ONE of two linked controversial developments which straddle the Sligo borough boundary has been given the go ahead by Sligo Borough Council. A decision on the second one is due next week from Sligo County Council.

Between them the two developments will involve the demolition of nine existing houses and construction of 125 apartments, a childcare facility, a community hall and gym and a Learning Disability Facility.

A Galway-based developer Tom Coyle is behind the two projects, which are planned for either side of the First Sea Road,which runs from Strandhill Road to the Finisklin Industrial Estate. One is in the Sligo Borough Council area and the other in the County Council area Strong objections have been lodged to both developments by local residents, who claim they will radically alter the character of the area.

Members of Sligo Borough Council have also expressed concern about the scale of the development. Residents claim that it would also substantially affect the value of their homes.


Concerns have also been expressed by residents about increased traffic congestion in the area and anti-social behaviour because of proposed basement car parks.

However, Sligo County Council last week granted planning permission for the development on its side of the road.

That was for the demolition of four existing houses and the construction of 57 residential units on a 0.8693 hectare (two acres) site.

Ten of these units are designed for occupants of a Learning Disability Facility. The remaining 49 units will be spread over three blocks.

The planning application before Sligo County Council, which is due for decision on Thursday next, is for the demolition of five houses and the construction of 68 apartments, a creche/afterschool and a community facility/gym and 104 parking spaces (surface and underground) on a 0.8296 hectare (two acres) site on the opposite side of the road.

Gillie

More from the Weekender:
Plan for new hotel in resort turned down

A PLAN to develop a new 67-bedroom hotel in Rosses Point has been turned down.

PSD Developments Limited had sought planning permission to demolish the former Hackett’s pub (sold last year for over €3.5 million), two single storey cottages and three outhouses to make way for the threestorey over basement hotel.

The proposal included a separate restaurant at ground floor level fronting the Old Road (Village Road) and an adjoining block of four 2-bed apartments over two floors.

The plan also involved a 94-space basement level car park which would accessed from the New Road (Promenade) via a tunnel under the Village Road.

However, the County Council considered that the plan would constitute over-development of the site and would be out of character with existing development in the area.

It was also felt that because of its scale and height it would be “incongruous and out of character” and would have “an adverse impact on the streetscape at this location”.



The planner also suggested that because of the restricted nature of the site it would detract from the residential amenities of adjoining residential properties by reason of overlooking and overshadowing.

It was held that the location of the proposed car parking area between two public roads and the absence of proposals to achieve adequate sightlines would create a traffic hazard.

It was also considered that a retaining wall between the car parking area adjacent to the R291 and the village road would be out of character with this “visually vulnerable” coastal location.

Objections to the plan has been submitted by An Taisce and Fintan and Margaret Ryan, Sur Mer, Rosses Point.



I'm actually glad this was turned down!
I would prefer to see the existing Ryans hotel done up properly.

Gillie

I'd edited this title in case Takola would ban me!

Westlife starLocal Developer has a bigger plan for site at Carraroe

A NEW plan for a neighbourhood centre in Carraroe being proposed by Westlife singing star Shane Filan’s development company is a more ambitious proposal than that put forward almost two years ago.

That planning application by Shafin Ltd in November 2006 drew strong objections from seven local residents, as well as the board of management and teaching staff of Scoil Naomh Eanna primary school, which is close to the site of the proposed development.


The application was eventually withdrawn in July of 2007.


That development was to have a gross floor area in total of 13,069 square metres in two blocks while the new plan is for seven different buildings with a total floor area of 14,311 square metres on the 2.814 hectares (al-most seven acres) site.


The new plan, which it is estimated will cost around •15 million and will create up to 200 jobs, is an altogether more substantial development than that previously proposed.


Shane Filan has said that the project is “a huge vote of confidence in Sligo.”


The new plan will involve a mixed use development of shops, apartments, offices, a private medical clinic, gymnasium and a crèche, with a much larger commercial aspect to it than last time. One of 11 shop units proposed will be a large supermarket with a floor area of 1,000 square metres and it has been stated that a major national retail outlet will be the anchor tenant at the neighbourhood centre.



Other planned elements of the commercial side of it will be a restaurant and beauty salon.


There will be 308 parking spaces (165 of them at basement level), an increase from the 247 proposed last time.


The residential aspect of it is actually reduced this time. In the previous plan there were 76 apartments but that has been brought down to a total of 68 this time. They will be a mixture of one, two and three bedroom units.


The heights of the buildings are lower this time. Last time one of the blocks rose to six storeys. This time none of the buildings are more than three storeys over basement.

Gillie

Council seeks funds for planned walkway

SLIGO Borough Council has revealed plans for a walkway at the bridge in Bridge Street. Council officials released drawings of the proposed walkway to councillors at a meeting on last Monday night week. The Borough Council will now seek government funding for the construction of the facility, which is estimated will cost in the region of •1,000,000.

The proposed scheme involves the construction of a modern slender suspension bridge independent of but immediately adjacent to the eastern side of the bridge.


Town Clerk John McNabols said: “This form is thought to be the most likely to meet the reservations of Duchas - conservation architects and archaeologists, as it requires no intervention into the old bridge and is reversible, it could be removed without interfering with the old bridge”.


He said that for a number of years the borough council have been aware of the deficiency in the pedestrian corridor at the bridge.


Last year the borough council received a grant to allow the initial plans of the project to be drawn up. Consultants, Roughan and O’Donovan were appointed for the project that included considering options, assessing the 360 year old bridge and all the restrictions, particularly the extensive network of underground services in the area.



The consultants completed their report some time earlier this year and the next stage of the project is the planning process.


Sligo Borough has already been in contact with DoEHLG (Duchas), Heritage Office, Sligo Borough Council Access Committee, Sligo Disability Committee and the Access Committee about the project.


In August Sligo Weekender launched a campaign for the walkway. This week Weekender editor Brian McHugh said: “We are delighted that the borough council has prepared a plan for the progect. It is now imperative that funding be made available to allow the project to go ahead.


“Money may be scarce in the current economic climate but this is a case where the safety of pedesrtians is an issue and it must be given priority.”



What do ppl think of this? Could the 1m be spent better elsewhere?

TequilaMockingBird

Gillie wrote: »

Could the 1m be spent better elsewhere?

A Story Of Planning in Sligo
By
Smiley McSmile

One day the Corporation realised there was lots and lots of money in the pot.

What shall we do with all this money, they wondered?

Along came Mr Grumpy

"The Bridge is too narrow for my very large nose" he moaned
:mad:
"I see, Mr Grumpy" said the Corporation man "We can't have that now. How is your father keeping?"

"There is another bridge very close Mr Grumpy, your large nose would have plenty of room there" said Joe Soap

"I want a shiny NEW bridge" said Mr Grumpy
:mad:
"But a new bridge will look silly beside the very old bridge" said Mrs Soap
:eek:
"ne chance ov an ol' hall or sumthin bud, we wan 2 hav a youth club?" asked Young Timothy the Thug
:cool:
But the Corporation Man didn't hear this, he could only hear Mr Grumpy.
The shiny new bridge was built, and Mr Grumpy was very happy indeed. Until he was mugged by Young Timothy the Thug on his shiny new bridge.

The End.

Gillie

I see in Today's Champion that they've only realised now after the Inner Relief road was built that it's a huge bottle neck! Ray Charles could have seen this to be honest!

Anyway they've been given the green light to change Hughes bridge into 6 lanes including Footbridges along the Bundoran Road!

This is likely to take until 2014 to complete.

Badly badly needed!

takola

Gillie wrote: »

I'd edited this title in case Takola would ban me!

Westlife starLocal Developer has a bigger plan for site at Carraroe

I hate to take out the banstick but when it's necessary it's necessary y'know?

I'm actually moving out of Sligo myself, middle of next month. It'll be interesting to see any changes made when I come back to visit.

Gillie wrote: »

I see in Today's Champion that they've only realised now after the Inner Relief road was built that it's a huge bottle neck! Ray Charles could have seen this to be honest!

Anyway they've been given the green light to change Hughes bridge into 6 lanes including Footbridges along the Bundoran Road!

This is likely to take until 2014 to complete.

Badly badly needed!

This is something I'd especially look forward to. I hate the bundoran road! :mad:

Gillie

takola wrote: »

I'm actually moving out of Sligo myself, middle of next month. It'll be interesting to see any changes made when I come back to visit.

First Xiney! Now you? Do we smell or something?:p

takola

Gillie wrote: »

First Xiney! Now you? Do we smell or something?:p

If you do I do too what with me being a local!

Nope, ye're all just incredibly depressingly boring!

Mint Sauce

sueme wrote: »

A Story Of Planning in Sligo
By
Smiley McSmile

One day the Corporation realised there was lots and lots of money in the pot.

What shall we do with all this money, they wondered?

Along came Mr Grumpy.....

very good sueme,

have seen some of the artist impressions of this, and tbh, the modern design of the new walkway does not seem right against the more historic structure of the bridge,



surprised the corporation have not reviewed the traffic again and turned it into single lane to allow for a footpath

Essexboy

I see the auctioneers' office in Markievicz Road (next to Jako shop) is empty. Another sign of the recession?

Gillie

http://www.sligochampion.ie/news/city-centre-plan-finally-gets-go-ahead-1571488.html
and
http://www.sligochampion.ie/news/plan-gets-go-ahead-1571496.html

Xiney

Actually, it sounds really good. I mean, Sligo doesn't exactly need any more retail units at present, but with more car spaces and a nicely built town square there might be a need later.

Gillie

From the Weekender...


Tesco superstore could be allowed in new plan
By John Bromley

A PLAN by Tesco for a superstore at Carraroe could be allowed under the proposed new development plan for Sligo town and surrounding area, which has just been published.

The company applied for planning permission in 2005 for a large supermarket opposite the retail park in Carraroe as part of a proposed new multi-million District Centre development by solicitor Raymond Monahan and his wife, Eileen, which was to have 12 other retail and service units and a separate warehouse-type retail outlet.


However, it was shot down because of a number of objections, including one from Sligo Chamber of Commerce, on the basis of restrictions on out-of-town retail development in the current Sligo and Environs Development Plan.


The draft plan to cover 2010-2016, which went on public display yesterday (Monday), still proposes that large foodstores should be located in the city centre or on the edge of the centre.


However, it states that “an outof-centre location may be considered where it has been demonstrated that it is not possible to bring forward sites which are in or on the edge of the city centre, because of the site size requirements of large foodstores, urban design constraints or because the road network does not have capacity for additional traffic and service vehicles. It is recognised that these constraints exist in Sligo.”



And there seems to be more flexibility in the location of discount foodstores. Lidl ran into problems last year when it tried to locate a store at Carraroe retail park. The plan states that the customer catchment and retail offer of discount foodstores is different to the mainstream superstores and supermarkets and their trade draw will be different.


“They provide a specialised form of predominantly convenience shopping. This will be relevant when assessing impact, although the effect on neighbourhood centres and other shops should also be considered. Discount food stores can effectively anchor neighbourhood centres as well as complementing existing convenience shopping. Proposals for such developments will be considered in relation to the provisions of the Development Plan concerning the sequential approach, the design, layout and retail impact of developments.” However, the plan still strongly advocates a centre-out approach with a preference for retail outlets to be located in the centre or edge of centre and only located out of town when there is no other alternative.

Gillie

From the Weekender:

Work is about to start on new Sligo link road
By John Bromley

WORK is about to start on the new Western Distributor Road in Sligo which will allow access to the western side of the town from the Inner Relief Road without having to go into the town centre.

Sligo Borough Council last week received €1.2 million for the road, which will eventually run from the Caltragh interchange on the the N4 Inner Relief Road down to the Strandhill Road, to provide a link to Finisklin.


The money allocated will be spent on Phase 1 of the road from the Ballydoogan Road to the Strandhill Road.


Gerald Love Contracts has been awarded the contract for the scheme, which comprises the construction of approximately half a mile (550 metres) of 10 metre-wide single carriageway with cycle lanes and footpaths on both sides of the road.


This scheme forms the first phase of a two-phase project. Phase 2 is a 2km length of roadway continuing from the end of Phase 1 at Ballydoogan to the Caltragh Interchange, crossing the Oakfield Road and the Sligo-Dublin railway line in the Town-land of Maugheraboy. The CPO for Phase 2 will be published shortly.



Sligo County Council says the purpose of the road is to “facili-tate the development of a strategic non-national urban link road” on the western side of Sligo.


The council says this will improve access to the existing IDA industrial business park at Finisklin and to the proposed IDA business park at Oakfield and will improve access to Sligo Airport at Strandhill.


The council says that it will also provide direct access to community sports and park facilities at Mitchell Curley Park from the highly populated Caltragh area at the eastern end of the scheme and the Strandhill Road at the northern end of the scheme.


“This will increase the catch-ment area of users of the sports and park facilities along with providing safe access by foot and bicycle.”





They've actually started this! It's a hive of activity up there at the mo...

Gillie

From the Weekender also:

Planning board shoots down ‘super village’ plan
By John Bromley

A PLAN for a new “super-village” on the outskirts of Sligo has been shot down by An Bord Pleanala.

Sligo County Council had granted approval at the end of June for the •85 million development on the Bundoran road. The project involved a total of 324 houses and apartments, which could potentially have had a population of over 1,000 people, making it one of the bigger centres of population outside Sligo town.


The project was the biggest private residential and retail project ever to be granted planning permission by the County Council.


It included a Neighbourhood Centre containing a large supermarket, nine smaller shop units, offices, a medical centre and crèche, as well as parking for 558 cars.


The five hectare (12 acres) site is at the junction of the Old Bundoran Road and the main N15 road (opposite Bertie’s pitch and putt).


The development would have involved the demolition of four existing houses, including the former “Red Cottage” bed and breakfast on the main Bundoran road.


It was a joint development between two Galway companies, Cordil Construction (who have a regional office in Sligo) and Knocknacarra Investments.


The council’s decision to grant planning permission was appealed by a local resident, Martin Doonan of Old Bundoran Road, Sligo, who expressed concern about the traffic problems that the development would create.



He claimed that the proposed development, together with a development by McInerneys, and the proposal by the National Building Authority for its site across from both Cordil and McInerneys would “endanger my family’s safety by reason of traffic hazard because of the additional traffic movements that would be generated onto the adjoining public road (Old Bundoran Road) which is seriously substandard in terms of width and alignment”.


He also claimed that the height, scale and density of the development would have “a huge negative effect on the immediate neighbourhood and would seriously affect the residential amenity and townscape adjacent to and surrounding the proposed development”.


The planning board considered that that the proposed development would be premature pending the realignment of the Sligo-Bundoran Road (N15) road in this area given that it was a large scale development removed from the existing built-up area of Sligo town and which would result in significant additional traffic turning movements at that junction. It was also considered that it would create a traffic hazard given the “existing deficiency” of the Old Bundoran Road.




hmmm....
Thoughts?

Mint Sauce

any plans/drawings for any of these that can be viewed, just read about some of them on the sligo coco site, but thats all it is, just stuff to read

Gillie

The plans for the Village and the W2 road were available (W2 should still be on the Co Co's site) but don't know about Tesco.

A regular on these boards pointed out recently that a major food outlet would help the struggling Retail Park at carraroe.
I agree. Tesco would be a major draw to the area and would be hugely convenient for a lot of ppl who will not come into the centre of Sligo.

darealtulip

Gillie wrote: »

The plans for the Village and the W2 road were available (W2 should still be on the Co Co's site) but don't know about Tesco.

A regular on these boards pointed out recently that a major food outlet would help the struggling Retail Park at carraroe.
I agree. Tesco would be a major draw to the area and would be hugely convenient for a lot of ppl who will not come into the centre of Sligo.

totaly agree, it would be good for retail park too. It might even get some bussiness back from carrick and enniskillen (if the sterling goes up again ofcourse)

Gillie

Aye. Don't think the one in Carrick is doing too well but that may only be the 24 hour aspect of it?

Xiney

well, I'm glad they've not granted permission for that super village thing - as if the country needs any more houses. I doubt it would have been built at this stage anyway.

Also, infrastructure! Good to see some jobs being created on worthwhile projects.

bobcar61

Top Aussie travel show shoots programme in Sligo

From the Sligo Champion:

Images of Sligo will be broadcast to over one million homes across Australia later this year after one of the country's most popular travel programmes, Gurus Explore, filmed on location here.

Organised by Tourism Ireland in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland, the TV crew is spending a week shooting footage in the West and the North West - including the Voya Seaweed Baths in Strandhill where they met with Neil Walton; Drumcliffe Churchyard and Glencar Waterfall where Ita Leyden recited the poetry of WB Yeats; and the Carrowmore Megalithic Tombs. They also met with Stella Mews at the Yeats Society and filmed some of the Yeats Trail.

The result will be an hour-long programme broadcast in the autumn on national TV on Channel 9, on digital 9HD, as well as on regional channel NBN TV - with total viewership figures in excess of 1 million. The Gurus filmed in Northern Ireland last year; the resulting programme aired this spring in Australia delivering publicity worth over AUS$ 2 million ( approximately €1.25 million).

Orla Saul, Tourism Ireland Australia, said: " We are absolutely delighted that the Gurus Explore crew has chosen to film in the North West. This is a tremendous opportunity to highlight and showcase the very best of this part of the island of Ireland to a huge Australian audience; from its natural attractions such as Ben Bulben, the scenic coast and its excellent surfing beaches, to the wonderful literary heritage and not forgetting its strongest asset - the warm welcome of the local people.

"The publicity value of a TV programme such as this is incalculable. It is an excellent way of promoting the wonderful tourism product in the North West to a mass audience. Australia is a key market for tourism to the island of Ireland and we have a very strong and comprehensive promotional programme under way there for 2009," she said.

cronndiesel

yiiaa good news for a change!!!:D:D:) should do some good for the area

MaryFeeney80

i think roads are the very, very bottom of the list of things to do after the big snip report. i give it five years before there is a revolution in this cournty - every one buy guns and land, is the only way to survive!

Essexboy

Bad news for Sligo tourism.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today stated that four Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order were served on food businesses during the month of September for breaches of food safety legislation pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998. The Orders were issued by environmental health officers (EHOs) in the HSE West Region and the HSE Dublin North East Region.


Closure Orders were served on:

• Benny’s restaurant, 8-10 Drogheda Street, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
• Food Stall (chip van) - White Toyota Hiace Registration No 98 G 3878, The Square, Roscommon Town, Roscommon
• Adezath Superstore, 298 North Circular Road, Dublin 7
• Castle Dargan Hotel (main kitchen and ancillary facilities), Ballygawley, Sligo.

bobcar61

I've heard bad tings about the kitchen in Castle Dargan, it's meant to be really dirty and grubby. Thankfully I have never eaten there for dinner.

Xiney

wow!

TequilaMockingBird

Xiney wrote: »

wow!

Lots of cleaning to be done?

Xiney

certainly seems that way!