A new Portarlington Business Association is to be set up, spearheaded by local Kildare South TD Cathal Berry who has an office in the town.
The inaugural meeting of the Portarlington Business Association will take place tomorrow evening, Tuesday, August 25, at 7pm in Portarlington Enterprise Centre on the Canal Road in the town.
The invitation is open to all business owners in the town but because of the current Covid-19 restrictions, places will be limited.
It’s understood that new members will be able to be facilitated on a Zoom call also.
Anyone wishing to attend can contact Karen Healy in Cathal Berry’s office by emailing karen.healy@oireachtas.ie.
The move to set up a new business association in the town comes as Laois County Council have issued a tender request for the provision of an urban regeneration strategy.
“Portarlington Town Centre is a historic place with its own distinct identity tied to the Market Square and the Market House,” said Laois County Council on the etenders website.
“Laois County Council has recently taken a lease on the Market House and wish to use this position to catalyse the heritage led regeneration of the historic core of Portarlington.
“Tenders are invited from suitably qualified and experienced companies to prepare a heritage-led urban regeneration Strategy for Portarlington that will develop and deliver a vision for the future of the town supported by an action plan with a clear framework for delivering those actions(Layout, form and design).
“The heritage led Urban Regeneration Strategy for Portarlington needs to consider a number of key components to ensure the proper planning of a successful strategy for the town centre of Portarlington.
These components are:
• A vision for the public realm and the historic Market Square, Main Street, Spa Street and French church street detailing how these can be central to the regeneration of the historic core of the town, leading to urban regeneration in the surrounding modern areas;
• Appropriate conservation of the Market House (a protected structure RPS 113, NIAH 12900209) and its setting in the Market Square Area;
• The creation of linkages from the Market Square and Main Street to adjoining amenities (e.g. River Barrow, People’s Park, Leisure Centre and playgrounds)and the possibility of links between the town centre and Derryounce Bog – Trails and Lakes and the Barrow Blueway;
• Traffic management including proposals to look at potential for pedestrianisation within the town centre;
• Connectivity with the Train Station and the development of the walking and cycling infrastructure within the town centre;
• The potential for provision of enterprise and economic development within the town centre;
• The area improvements which need to be created both in the built environment and in the hard and soft landscaping.
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