The urban landscape of Moate will soon be enhanced following the recent announcement that it has been allocated €100,000 in the ‘Town Centre First’ scheme, the aim of which is to revitalise the town centre and tackle dereliction.
One town per county has been selected by Government for inclusion in the scheme and Westmeath County Council will work with local community groups, retailers and other stakeholders to devise a masterplan for the town centre which will help in future growth and development.
Welcoming the development, local Fine Gael Councillor, Tom Farrell, stated that the inclusion of Moate in the ‘Town Centre First’ scheme, coupled with the imminent streetscape enhancement would “revitalise and rejuvenate” the heart of the town.
“Such positive developments are certain to boost Moate and when completed will enhance activity within the town centre, it is welcome news to receive prior to Christmas,” Cllr Farrell asserted.
His thoughts were echoed by local Fianna Fáil Councillor, Vinny McCormack, who noted his intention to liaise with the council executive and devise a “progressive masterplan” for Moate in collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders.
The ‘Town Centre First’ scheme forms a key part of the Government’s ‘Our Rural Future’ policy and will be heavily linked with the ‘Housing For All’ policy which was announced in recent months.
The inclusion of Moate in the ‘Town Centre First’ scheme was a sign of the Government’s commitment to the town, according to Constituent Fianna Fáil Minister of State, Deputy Robert Troy.
“The inclusion of Moate in this scheme is another clear sign of our commitment to the town and how we want to see Moate grow and develop. Moate has always been a vibrant town with great traditions, we want to ensure this vibrancy can be grown and that every opportunity is given to allow Moate to develop in a sustainable way into the future.
“There is so much that the town already has to offer and with the right plan in place we can ensure that Moate is perfectly placed to develop as a destination town in the Midlands where families can work locally and enjoy all of the leisure and recreational activities which the town, and surrounding areas already has to offer.
“This is a very exciting time for Moate which I am sure will have a very positive impact on all of the people of the area,” Deputy Troy commented.
His fellow elected representative, Fine Gael Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, acknowledged that Westmeath County Council were best placed to know where Moate needs the investment, which properties to invest in and how best to progress the initiative in tandem with the relevant stakeholders.
“Moate is a great selection under the ‘Town Centre First’ scheme. One of the criteria is that towns must have less than 10,000 in population size and due to its central location in the county and busy town centre, it is a great choice.
“I have been working with Cllr Tom Farrell in this area and he has supported the proposal of Moate as a pilot town with Westmeath County Council. We have witnessed Moate progressing in recent years, with investment into Dún na Sí, Moate Action Group and a town enhancement scheme.
“While the bank closing has been tough on the community, I am hopeful this announcement can breathe new life into the town and get more shops and businesses in situ on Main Street which will help both the community and the traders.
“The Town Centre First Plans will be guided by a strong empirical base and developed collaboratively with local town teams involving community, business, as well as public and private stakeholders.
“It is envisaged that the plans will cover the importance of ‘place-making’, town centre living, the social and economic purpose of the town, and respond to emerging opportunities such as those linked to remote working, climate action and digitalisation,” Deputy Burke remarked.
