A VISIONARY CITY PLAN

REDRAWING THE MAP OF SLIGO’S CITY CENTRE

A new vision of how Sligo city centre could look in 15-20 years time has been presented to Sligo Municipal District.

Members were presented on Monday with a vision of Stephen Street car park transformed into a cultural plaza and our main streets of O’Connell Street, Stephen Street, Old Market Street, Market Cross, Quay Street and Abbey Street all re-designed.

The plan was drawn up by BDP landscape architects and urban designers who have re-designed Derry city centre and Mayfair and Belgravia in London among other projects.

The plan sees O’Connell Street with a single lane of traffic but removes parking from Stephen Street car park altogether to make way for the cultural plaza.

When pressed on whether or not he thought O’Connell Street should have traffic through it or be pedestrianised, as per the long term Development Plan, BDP Director Mehron Kirk leaned towards keeping the single lane of traffic.

“We think today it should be trafficked and very well organised with pedestrians sharing the street,” he told members at the meeting.

“The way it’s been re-designed, it could be changed (pedestrianised) in 15 years time. The way it has been designed is suitable for today’s use and adaptable for the future,” he said.

Kirk said he believed that bringing art and feature lighting onto the streets of Sligo would make it “a better experience”.

He said their plan for Lady Erin at Market Cross would be to “bring that area back to it’s historical roots.”

“These are visions of what could be, not finalised plans,” he stressed.

They also proposed moving the Famine monument on Quay Street to a more prominent position and creating green areas across from the Garda station.

Director of Services Dorothy Clarke told members that if they wanted to attract people to live and work in Sligo it was important to have a plan in place.

She said initial consultations had taken place with stakeholders, such as businesses, communities and councillors.

She said BDP were now looking for more feedback from stakeholders.