€100 million town centre proposal as 'gateway to Enfield'

A planning application described as "radical and innovative" has been lodged with Meath County Council by Urban Synergy Enfield Limited for the development of a multi-million town centre in Enfield.

The proposed development, valued in excess of €100 million, is a 10-acre town centre of retail units, enterprise/commercial units, hotel, nursing home/assisted living units, office space, petrol station/food court, multi-storey car parking, bus stops, creche and 152 residential units. 

The scheme is to be centred around a proposed market square and purpose designed open spaces connecting with the harbour area at the southern end of the site. Bounded by the sylvain maturity of the canal avenue, to the east, residents and visitors will enjoy a level of landscape maturity only normally achieved over multiple decades. This green canvas forms the central back drop to a sophisticated, yet relaxed well connected urban living model.

Providing a high quality, yet tranquil, ‘live, work, play’ environment, immediately adjacent the train station and major bus routes, the scheme is poised to become the central hub for the town. It is hoped that the proposal can offer a paradigm shift in thinking on the future enhancement and thus sustainability of similar scale towns.

Critically, in complementing and augmenting the existing retail, commercial and residential offers in Enfield, the development and  philosophy of Urban Synergy Enfield Ltd, is to empathetically grow customer and residential choice by expanding the range of services, thus footfall, activity and population for the community and business sector alike.

‘Urban Arq’ by Eugene Mulcaire Architects Ltd., Dublin and Galway, together with town planning consultants Future Analytics Consulting, based in Dublin, have partnered to develop an urban design focused response to the Urban Synergy brief, which has been sensitively and conscientiously handled, hopefully affording a remarkable enhancement to both the town and its wider environs. 

Whilst designing to an appropriate density, height and scale the development and design team have also sought to deliver a high quality public realm, integrated with the town, transport nodes, neighbourhood amenities such as the harbour and the canal walk.

The heart of the development is to be accessed by a highly permeable matrix of pedestrian links throughout the development along with two vehicular entrances.

The proposed development physically lies on what is possibly the most significant nodal point within the town boundary. As a focal point, the development will act as a gateway to Enfield, highlighting its offer for the towns people, customers, residents, visitors and tourists. 

A multi-storey car park is proposed, which has the distinct advantage of removing the adverse visual and physical impact of mass surface parking on the environment, freeing up this surface space for the benefit of the community and visitor alike.

Urban Synergy Enfield Limited says it is committed to establishing a sustainable low energy development assisting with the promotion and complementary growth toward reinstating Enfield’s status as a thriving town centre and environs which provides for neighbourhood, business, enterprise, tourist commercial and community needs.

Indeed, quality growth in the residential, employment, tourism and retail sectors can only assist with Enfield’s critical mass, in attracting future facilities, such as a second level educational establishment.

Such a multi modal urban design and development approach, fostering a spread of uses, building and operator types across a broad spectrum generates considerable employment potential. For example, during construction up to 200 local jobs are anticipated, with even greater numbers possible post construction.  

In terms of tourism, specialist advisors have joined the team in steering the design and strategies toward the emerging ‘explore the regions market’. Consequently the hotel and leisure offers have been set to a standard by design and location, cognisant of initiatives such as Irelands Ancient East, Blue Ways, Cycle Ways and long distance footpaths. The adjacency of the Royal Canal, rail and bus access add considerably to this concept.

The residential offer is deliberately broad in range to support the full aspirations of community as distinct from narrow investment models. From town houses with rear gardens right up to the stunning penthouses overlooking the harbour and woodland haven below, all budgets are catered for. The residential experience will be characterised by a quality ‘live, work, play’ environment complemented by excellent transport linkages.