Have your say about the Development of Kells!

Meath County Council is embarking on creating a Public Realm and Regeneration Plan for Kells Town Centre and would like to invite everyone to play their part. 

Kells is an attractive historic town, characterised by a medieval street pattern with buildings of significant heritage quality strategically positioned in various locations along the primary streets of the town. The town benefits from the M3 Motorway bypass. Notwithstanding this, the town currently experiences high traffic volumes and with its wide carriage width, haphazard parking, lack of suitable clearly identifiable pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes and narrow pavements in part, is a problematic environment for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate. 

It is an objective of the Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027 to prepare a public realm plan for Kells. It is intended that the Plan will address issues which are viewed as blockages to the redevelopment and regeneration of the town centre, which will greatly enhance the social, economic and environmental assets of the town.  The plan will help fulfil the objectives of the County development Plan 2021-2027 and will identify projects to attract funding and investment into the town. 

At the launch the consultation process at the Kells Municipal District on Monday, October 10, The Elected Members of the Kells Municipal District expressed their support for the project and encouraged all with an interest in the town to take part in the process. 

Production of the plan will be led by consultancy BDP, who are one of Europe’s leading landscape practices. They have previously worked on Slane, Laytown-Bettystown, Oldcastle and Athboy Public Realm Plans, and have now brought together an experienced team for this exciting opportunity of developing a Public Realm and Regeneration Plan for Kells.

Speaking about the plan landscape architect Kevin McGann said, “The plan will seek to be the catalyst for the revitalisation of the town centre and surrounding areas whilst pursuing a continued pattern of development that respects the inherent characteristics of the natural and built environment. The starting point for the project is to hear from the people of Kells and this survey is an important part of that process”. 

The initial consultation process opened on Friday, October 7 with an online survey via the QR Code provided and available at www.meath.ie.  The public is also invited to a consultation event in Kells, taking place between 4.00pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, October 19 at Kells Municipal District Office, Headfort Place, Kells.

This event is an opportunity to meet Meath County Council staff and the design team from BDP to discuss the opportunities for improving the streets and spaces in the town centre of Kells.