Council publishes Public Realm Plan for Slane
A PUBLIC Realm Plan for Slane, which includes proposals for the redesign of the junction on the square, the creation of a new village garden and the removal of the overhead gantries on the descent to Slane Bridge has been published by Meath County Council.
The finalised Slane Public Realm plan will form part of the planning application for the Slane Bypass.
BDP Urban Design and Landscape Consultants were commissioned by Meath County Council to produce a public realm strategy for the village centre.
The plan sets out the future approach to the streets and spaces of the village and includes speed reduction measures towards the centre of the village, defined spaces and narrowed streets to create more space and an improved layout.
It will also include an improved junction at the square, greater public lighting, greater space for pedestrians and the introduction of vegetation with tree lined streets enhancing the appearance of the heritage village.
Cllr Wayne Harding described the plan as extremely positive.
"Elements of the plan are directly related to the Bypass and will be delivered as part of that," he said.
"This will be a game changer for Slane, the Greenway, the Bypass and the public realm plan will be of enormous benefit and will showcase Slane as a stunning heritage town."
Plans for the square in the centre of the village include a new junction design including reorganised traffic lanes, resurfaced raised tables with pedestrian crossings, narrowing of the carriageway as a traffic calming measure, the southern approach road reduced to two traffic lanes, wider pavements for improved pedestrian movements and the removal of traffic gantries.
The village garden across from the Conyngham Arms will have flexible central space for possible local events. Seating will be age friendly with armrests and backrests and the garden will feature a public art piece, cycle parking, and links to nearby shops and cafes.
Local biodiversity will be increased through the planting of native and naturalised trees, shrubs and herbaceous planting.
There are proposals for a segregated cycle lane on Mill Hill and a shared pedestrian / cyclist link from Mill Hill to a proposed car-park off the N51, a defined pocket space at the entrance of the Millhouse, the resurfacing of Slane Bridge and replacing lighting columns, defined footpaths and crossing points.
The existing anglers car parking should be resurfaced and retained with improved access and signage to the towpath recreational link.
In line with current Fáilte Ireland Guidelines, outdoor dining should be encouraged in an organised manner that doesn’t detract from the spatial quality of the village.
It is suggested that a five-year programme is put in place to ensure momentum and achieve the overall goal of making improvements to the public realm in the village centre. This should identify the process and identify tasks against target dates. This will likely be subject to the programme for the delivery of the bypass.
The consultants have identified sources of funding including, Project Ireland which supports ambitious and strategic projects which contribute to sustainable rural regeneration and development, the Heritage Council, 'Our Rural Future' 2021, Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF) and the Town and Village Fund.
As the planning application for the Slane Bypass will include a number of the measures set out in the plan, Transport Infrastructure Ireland is considered a potential funding source.