Council pushes on with Clara renewal plan

The first step in devising a blueprint to revitalise Clara is underway after Offaly County Council sought expressions of interests from consultants to prepare a Town Centre First Plan for Clara.

Last December, Clara was one of 26 towns nationwide to be allocated €100,000 funding by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys for the delivery of Town Centre First Plans. The plans are seen as a key weapon in fighting the decline of towns across the country.

Offaly County Council has wasted little time in pushing on with the initiative and is now seeking expressions of interest from urban-design led teams to prepare the plan for Clara.

Documents prepared by the council highlight the need to direct new retail and commercial development into the centre of Clara and to tackle vacancy and dereliction.

The information provided for interested parties also highlights Clara's deep industrial heritage and its wide range of natural heritage assets including Eiscir Riada, the River Brosna and Clara Bog.

The Town Centre First Plan will be tasked with addressing the opportunities and challenges which Clara presents.

The council says the plan will be developed by the consultants following “an extensive communication and collaborative process”. It says an internal working group will be established by the planning team in the council supported by a Clara Town Team, which is to be established. There is also a belief that a Chamber of Commerce group may be founded in Clara.

The plan will also include comprehensive assessments and preliminary designs in the areas of planning, urban design, landscape architecture, conservation, environment and engineering.

Among the assessments to be prepared are a Clara Town Centre Health Check Programme, an analysis of building and land usage survey with particular reference to opportunity sites and other large underutilised sites.

Also planned is an analysis of the built environment with particular reference to vacancy, dereliction and an appraisal of key industries and business/enterprise focus of the town and of travel patterns, including traffic counts and parking audits,

Key action points are being sought by the council on issues such as optimising connectivity and accessibility, traffic management and the impact of private vehicles on the public realm and living environment, enhancement of the public realm to create more attractive streets and spaces, proposals to encourage a mix of uses to generate activity within the town centre and how to integrate the town’s rich history and cultural life as part of a town centre experience.