The findings of the Reimagine Headford Community Survey, undertaken by the Headford Town Team and The Irish Architecture Foundation in the earlier part of 2022 will be revealed on Monday December 5, at 8pm in The Angler’s Rest Hotel in Headford.
In June 2021, Headford Town Team won a place on the Irish Architecture Foundations Reimagine programme. This placemaking programme works from a core belief that matches architects with local partners, with the aim of enabling communities to play an active role in the development of their neighbourhoods, streets, parks, villages and towns.
A concern about the demise of Headford’s town centre led Headford Town Team to make their application for the programme, with the key aim of making the town a more enjoyable place to be, and a better place to live, work and visit.
Over a period of months, the team worked with architect Deirdre Greaney to consider a renewed vision for the town, which culminated in a highly successful Bloom Room event last June, where a hidden space at the heart of the town was reimagined as a public space where people could meet and spend time.
This event was planned in response to information gathered in the Reimagine Headford Community Survey, undertaken by the team for the purposes of gathering people’s thoughts and ideas on Headford town centre, and where a lack of public recreational spaces was identified as an issue for the town.
In the survey, respondents were also asked to consider how often they frequent the town centre, and for what reasons, as well as offer their perceptions of public amenities and observations about how they would like to see the town centre change and develop.
Clearly, there is much to love about Headford, with respondents highlighting a friendly community, nearby historical sites, sports amenities, location, and culture and music as the best things about the area. What is less heartening is that while almost half of survey respondents visit the town daily, only six per cent shop in the towns Main St. area (including High St. and Bridge St. ) daily, and only 9% socialise in the same area weekly. In contrast, 58 per cent of respondents stated they do not socialise in Headford very often.
Taken as a whole, the survey highlights a need for the revitalisation of the town centre—respondents stated that less traffic and traffic noise, more public seating, and more shops and services would encourage them into to the town centre and was an extremely important part of the work of the Reimagine Headford group. Not only did the research inform the work of the project during its lifetime, but it will also be used to inform and direct the future work of Headford Town Team and Headford and District Association, who are a local voluntary community development group.
Anyone with an interest in the Reimagine programme survey results, or in the work of local volunteers towards the revitalization and development of Headford town centre, are most welcome to attend the launch of the Reimagine Community Survey findings, by Deirdre Greaney and the Headford Town Team, on December 5.
