Cllrs feeling left out of masterplan input for Trim

A NEW draft masterplan for lands located at the rear of Emmet Street which have been earmarked for a major expansion of Trim Town has been submitted to Meath County Council but not yet agreed, local councillors have heard.

A motion by Cllr Noel French at the July meeting of Trim MD asked the council to provide a plot of land to Trim Women's Shed for a gardening project near the sensory garden and was told in response that the council could not do so, as the lands were subject to a masterplan, which led to a discussion on the masterplan and the need for input from councillors before it is finalised.

Cllr French said he was disappointed that they can't facilitate Trim Women's Shed even on a year-by-year basis and also that a draft masterplan has been submitted to the planning authority without councillors' input.

Director of Services, De Foley outlined that a plan has been prepared on behalf of landowners and developers which was submitted to the council but was still at draft stage and had not yet been agreed. He also pointed out that it is an objective of the County Development Plan that a masterplan be prepared for those lands.

He said there had been a lot of interaction between the different parties and it was still at draft stage.

Cllr French asked if councillors could have a say in the masterplan rather than commenting on a plan that was already settled on.

Cllr Fox said they had been talking about these lands in Trim for a long time and had presentations from different people over the years but still nothing has happened yet. He described it as the “most pivotal site in Trim linking two iconic buildings - Trim Castle and the OPW. He also said councillors would have an input at public consultation stage.

However, Cllr Moore said they should be having a say at a much earlier stage than at public consultation.

Cllr French said that the area behind Emmet Street is going to be “make or break for the town of Trim. If we get that wrong you can forget about the town of Trim”.

He said he trusted Meath County Council and had no issue with planners taking a leading role but did not want a masterplan agreed and presented to them and then having to say he doesn't agree with it and would vote against it or bring people out on the street because he doesn't want Trim ruined.

“I may be perfectly happy with it, I probably will be, but this is the most major thing to happen Trim since Hugh de Lacy founded the town, and we have to get it right”.

It was agreed to have a presentation at their September meeting and Mr Foley gave a commitment that the masterplan would not be finally agreed until councillors have an input and presentation.

The masterplan will cover a large swathe of land to the rear of Emmet Street in Trim, running from the River Boyne to the Newhaggard Road and when completed will provide a framework for the development of the new town centre including lands around the Office of Public Works building. It would also take in the area around the Aura Leisure Centre and Trim GAA complex.

Part of the lands had been earmarked for a new town-centre development more than 15 ago that was to be built alongside the OPW building but it did not proceed. The council later sold a portion of lands in that area to Aldi which opened a supermarket in 2017.