Newtown with other villages
PUBLIC MEETING DISCUSSES FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE VILLAGE
After touring the village, the group moved on to look at the site of the proposed Riverine Park. Acres of protected mature trees and a meandering stream, a listed ruined mill house and a protected period residence makes up what is known as the ‘Valle Pacis’ since the 1800s. According to the last Local Area Development Plan the area is zoned town centre and low density housing.
Riverine Park is set to be built among the trees with a walkway connecting the trail from Coillte woods all the way to the Kilcoole Road.
At last Thursday night’s meeting it was recommended that the site would be better kept as a park to form a ‘green heart of the village’.
Members of the audience were particularly eager to ensure that the town would not be over-run by badly planned development.
Newtownmountkennedy District Forum have already applied through LEADER for funding to create a local Town Design Plan.
Also high on the agenda was co-operation between the villages and towns located nearby to Newtownmountkennedy.
Westport and the surrounding villages benefited hugely from Ireland’s first greenway, a highly imaginative scheme introduced by the Department of Transport.
Newtownmountkennedy 2050 is suggesting co-operation between Newtown, Kilcoole, Roundwood and Newcastle to create a greenway between the villages. The creation of a Sli Slainte would benefit all users, from local residents to tourists and runners. It was also suggested that the greenway could also provide a massive financial boost to the area.