Mitchelstown ‘defurbishment’

The Part-8 plan to ‘defurbish’ some of the heritage parts of Mitchelstown, if allowed proceed,

would have the opposite effect and should be resisted. The reduction of much needed parking, putting in a single disabled public convenience, the removal of some heritage architectural features including limestone kerbing on George’s Street and existing railing in Kingston College and replacement with modern items, are but some objectionable features. Chief sin goes to the proposal to maintain the diagonal road in King’s Square and removal of ‘No through Road for HGV traffic’ signs on George’s Street, so maintaining the ‘rat-run’ that George’s Street has become.

The myth that a certain EP Finn sought to maintain the diagonal road is just that, myth. Rather he sought to prevent CCC from creating a runway extension in King’s Square from George’s St. before removing the diagonal road, and this had a chilling effect on CCC’s then plan. That CCC subsequently went ahead and developed this runway by stealth, and now seeks to undo its destructive ‘handiwork’, is testament to the dangers of letting CCC dictate to local people modernisation plans suited to some city slicker space in the name of ‘Architectural enhancement’.

Unless affected and interested locals form a group and hold a meeting of minds, meeting now, possibly under the auspices of Mitchelstown Forum or Community Council, and produce a Majority Plan and a Minority Report, I feel that CCC will run amok yet again, as they did in New Square before and in front of SuperValu currently with the introduction of architecture less mass concrete paving, it will destroy much of what is uniquely Mitchelstown heritage to the detriment of the town as a whole.

Regards Kevin T Finn, Kingston Close, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork.