The decision taken by Westmeath County Council to grant permission to CRF Construction Ltd. to build 19 houses in Baylough, on the west side of Athlone, has been formally welcomed by Town Mayor, Cllr. Aengus O’Rourke, who acknowledged this week that the development is the “largest single investment in this are of Athlone for a number of decades.”
“I would like to thank my fellow Councillors for backing this project today and backing the material contravention, allowing the development now to proceed.
“CRF Construction Ltd. have shown great initiative and patience with this project. Embarking on a material contravention process from a planning perspective is never simple and permission to proceed was always going to pose challenges.
“However, with careful and methodical planning, CRF and their support team got the permission they needed today. It was a pleasure to work closely with CRF over the course of the past two years, and while I am pleased for the principals involved I am happiest of all for the people of Baylough and west Athlone. This is just the boost which Baylough needed,” Cllr. O’Rourke emphasised.
The Town Mayor stressed that the west side of Athlone had been neglected in recent years with regard to the town’s development but noted that positive shoots were now starting to emanate.
“I live and work on the west side of Athlone. Unfortunately, this particular area of town has lost ground over the past 20 years in terms of Athlone’s overall development. However, I am delighted to say that this is now changing, slowly but surely.
“I work closely with local business people who have an eye on investing, expanding or developing new ideas on the west side of Athlone and I work to ensure they get the support and assistance necessary from the relevant agencies, in order to make things happen.
“In respect of this development, I was happy to interact with the various stakeholders that led to the sale of the old Ward’s Pub site in Baylough. The site was purchased by local man, Declan Holohan, and his company Complete Solutions.
“The old Ward’s pub site has been an eye sore and a magnet for anti-social behaviour for nearly 20 years so it is fantastic to see this site now cleared and ready for new life which in turn will make a positive contribution to the local community and the local economy.
“The new supermarket for Baylough is also a project on which I have been workign with the relevant stakeholders and I was very pleased that Westmeath County Council granted permission for this development earlier this year. However, it was then appealed to An Bord Pleanala and that decision is now due in two weeks time. There is huge anticipation locally about this pending decision, the overwhelming wish of the local people is that the development will proceed and I hope it does.
“We also have the west-side urban regeneration plan which will see the local authority invest substantial money in west-Athlone in the coming months and years. This plan has already commenced with the Council purchasing a number of vacant houses on Connaught Street within the past twelve months. These sites along with others in the area will be redeveloped as part of a master plan for the area,” Cllr. O’Rourke reflected.
