Castlebar Chamber of Commerce have unveiled a plan which could put the idle IDA business park on the Breaffy Road to good use.
Economist Padraig McGuinness of PMG Consult, who was employed by the Chamber to draft their Vision 2020, which was launched this week, said the IDA have confirmed that there have been no specific enquiries from inward investors.
According to Mr McGuinness there are 37 similar other sites around the country and the Chamber are proposing that the IDA look at the site from a different perspective if it is going to be lying idle for several more years.
What the Chamber are proposing is that a knowledge park be developed at the site. Already Castlebar boasts a business incubation centre at the Innovation in Business Centre at GMIT but what the knowledge park would provide is “step-up” accommodation for those businesses.
The Chamber have realised that Castlebar is not exempt from the impact of global economic changes and needs to plan for new sectors to help indigenous enterprises grow and innovate.
The Castlebar knowledge park would provide a strategic investment site offering the right mix of services, finance and support to create a culture of enterprise capable of ensuring sound economic growth into the future.
However, Mr McGuinness stressed that if a large inward investor became interested in the IDA park in the morning it would be welcomed.
Mayor of Castlebar Councillor Kevin Guthrie has welcomed the Chamber’s plan describing it as “a great idea”. Cllr Guthrie and his colleagues on Castlebar Town Council have met with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland on numerous occasions and he confirmed to the Mayo Advertiser there is nothing happening in relation to the Breaffy Road site and nothing is going to happen.
“If it was handed over to local businesses that would be a great use of the site,” added Mayor Guthrie.
