Invest the €2.5bn into local business, houses and employment
Dear Irish Government, AN OPEN LETTER
I am writing to you regarding the National Planning Framework document which you launched on Friday 16th February.
A huge thank you for the nod of your head to Drogheda to appease the locals.
As an ordinary person I find the terms ‘ designated regional centre for growth’ and ‘economic corridor’ a bit vague, but I’m sure that’s just me. Considering the fact that we were completely ignored in the draft plan and are now at the 3rd tier level I would have thought we would have fared better considering that the most submissions came from Drogheda.
You should receive full credit for deluding some people into thinking this is great news for our town.
I must say that it is very thoughtful of you to bring us the DART so we can continue to send our citizens on the endless, demoralising commute. Forgive a small criticism but maybe improving our existing rail system, making rail travel more affordable, building a Drogheda north station which might ease the congestion on our roads and investing the €2.5billion intended for the DART into local business, employment and social housing might be a better way forward for our town. And while you are at it, maybe the citizens of Dunleer might like their rail service back too!
As for the Port Access Northern Cross Route, who needs it!!?? Let’s strangle Drogheda with its own boundary and port traffic, it deserves it for being an upstart by exceeding its predicted growth DESPITE being ignored by successive governments.
It’s also genius to keep the toll as it helps to tie that noose a bit tighter. It is definitely ok to ignore the fact that Drogheda, Ireland’s fastest growing and largest town, needs its own council, offices, planner and architect!! We might get a bit big for our boots if we were made a city in these Brexit days.
Sure wouldn’t we be the nearest city to the North then. Now we couldn’t have that with Dundalk stuck in the middle of it all! We haven’t even reached the magic 50,000 citizens within that boundary yet which of course has quite a number of our citizens living in Drogheda, Co. Meath. No need to plan for population growth.
Tourism?? Ha!! Who would want to come and visit our medieval town which is steeped in history? You are right, just let everything fall into ruin. No need to invest in our historic structures if they aren’t there. Another stroke of genius!
If I might be so bold to suggest we could do with a bit of strong local leadership to help the town along! Somebody who stands up for Drogheda, gives it the representation it deserves and has the true grit needed to see it reach its full potential. Failing that we could do a useless petition to put Drogheda on the map, get rid of the toll, change the boundary, be a city, whatever suits you best, so you can completely ignore it!
I will finish by adding that despite your best efforts to ignore Drogheda at all levels we plan to continue to battle for the town that we love, that deserves so much more! I look forward to working with the amazing citizens of this town towards that end.
I greatly anticipate the next election! 1, 2, drop the pen!!! Yours, Ann McVeigh. A bitterly disappointed Drawda gal.