IRELAND 2040 OUR PLAN National Planning Framework Anna McKenna 78 George’s Street Drogheda Submitted on behalf of Drogheda City Status Group 1 | Page INTRODUCTION A City for the North Es This submission is presented by Drogheda City Status Group a body of concerned citizens who, six years ago, set about achieving recognition of Drogheda as a City and National Growth Centre. Miss Statement of Drogheda City Status Group is as follows: “To procure City Status for Drogheda to enable its unique hisory, location and potential to be appreciated and promoted in indusry, sinss touris education, health and quality of life to the benefit and advantage of its citizens and ths of the South Louth and Eas Meath region.” Drogheda City Status preliminary study came to the conclusion that Drogheda’s problems stemmed from the lack of understanding and appreciation by policy makers of the importance and potential of the town and region. It became clear to us that policy makers in Dublin shared this flawed view of the Drogheda region and its proper status. 2 | Page Drogheda Iread’s arges on, (forerly a conty in s own rght) has been a ere o imporae for ards o 800 ears. It has been a Corporae orogh with s own Maor, Adera ad Brgesses for a ha time until reet oa oere reorm. rodly saed o Ireland’s os hsoric rer ad aea o he oye Vae s por has been a e line with Eroe ad he res o he word Drogheda has a uniqe poso in he orh Soh Dblin - eas orrdor with eetioa trasort inrasrucre i.e a ralwa e Dblin o eas M1 Moorwa ad he proimity o Dlin arport ad read aess o Dblin ort via he ort Tunne The Drogheda herad ores o s imporae ad araveess with he oasal omunities o Mornigo eson ad Laon soh o he oe ad ara, eroein ad Cogherhead orh o he rer. It s srroded by he great ertie ads o Counties Loh ad Meah ad he beautiful oe Vae o he es It s aso he aor soa oera ad eoo ere for a rng o growing os ad vages in s herad, e Stae Doore ason, orason, Doaarey, Deek, Sae, Coo Moaseroe Tullyae, Deer ad re The aaing hsory o Drogheda ad he Boyne Vae boh pre ad pos Chrsan, ses it aar in its uniqe arhaeooga ad hsoric reasres ad with eoros ors poental. The on has a great og indsral radito ad ed he ontry again in he growth o e indsry in he 1930’s 1940’s 1950’s 1960’s ad 1970’s. he soe o he dsres hae osed there s a growing apreatio by indsrass o Drogheda’s araos ad in reet ties a er o ne rs hae oeed e Easoas aehose oa Dsery ad Breery ad Saesree. The aes o hese rs o se up s Moe ehooges Inc (MTI) ho s esashg a Eroea Headqarers oact in Drogheda eoing 150 orers. eaig a he aoeet Minser for os Enterrse ad Innoao Mar Mithe O’Connor D sad: 3 | Page “This is a great announeent b Mobie Tehnoogies n. bringing 150 high silled obs o Drogheda. Driing inesent ino egiona oations is a ke fous for e. This inesent i be o onsiderabe beneit o Drogheda and he order egion providing a signiian boos o eoent and beneitting the eono o the ton and region.” CEO o IDA Ireland Martin Shanahan said: “the high uaiy obs reated b he oany i hae a posiie no-on efe on he ider region and i prooe Drogheda as an ideal oation for onducting internationa business.” s a furher eale e qoe Mhael Care, Managng Dreor o Easoas aehose as ollows:- “Drogheda as seeed for this new business for a nuber o reasons a. Drogheda has neor of highly suessful food and drink businesses. uch a neor has proided real and eaningul suppor during the ear sages o the estabishent o the business proiding adie introductions and oher suort. b. The road neor around Drogheda is uniue. hie many o the eoees a Easoas aehouse are oal, soe trae fro oher tons. Trae o and fro the aehouse is er eas. Siiar, transoration o ingredients and deiery o finished product o our rish reail usoers or o the pors is highy efiient. Avaiabiiy o silled eoees in Drogheda is eeent. hen i as announced ha he iniial group o 25 aehouse production staff ere o be seeted e reeied oer 2,500 appiations in us a oupe o ees. any o the aplicans ere aready in eoent, bu ere interesed in being par o this sar-u gien is oation aoiding a long oute. 4 | Page d. Avaiabiiy o suitabe preises. hen onsidering oations a ke reuireent as o find an indusrial buiding o the right sie and shape. A nuber o aaiabe suitabe buidings ere ideniied in Drogheda.” All of this has happened and population has grown despite Drogheda not being prioritized in the last National Spatial Strategy 2002. Truly Drogheda is a place with a distinguished past with a great groth fuure if properly perceived, planned, managed and supported. We have felt that in the ationa as well as local and regional interest it is important to change the perception of this great town by procuring city status as Ireland’s sixth city and recognition of its potential as a National Growth Centre. We commissioned Dr Brian Hughes, PhD, MSc Hons. (Spatial Planning), Dip Envir.Econs., F.S.C.S.I., F.R.I.C.S., FeRSA, MSSISI, Chartered Planning & Development Surveyor, consulting in Urban Economics and Demography, (at Drogheda City Group’s own expense), and we have had the benefit of his extensive research and reports. In March 2012 Drogheda Borough Council passed a resolution, “That the members of Drogheda Borough Council from this day forward give their consent and approval to the people of Drogheda referring to Drogheda as the City of Drogheda”. It is our understanding that “Ireland 2040 Plan” is in effect the Government’s implementation of its “PUTTG T PEOPLE FIT” document. 5 | Page read - 2040 Te Mnster Smon Covene as produed a Drat Plan nvtng a ne plannng rameork or Ireland for te net 25 ears. Ths Drat Plan anoledges tat “the etra populaton and omes wll appen n te East Coast” and urter tat “this wll present maor challenges around lop-sded development under-used potental oneston and adverse mpats on people’s lves and te envronment”. I ts populaton nrease s oreseen for te Eastern eon and by mplaton s undesral to e loated entrel n ubln e sumt tat a vbrant and loursng City o rogeda (by ar te biggest ton n te Countr at present sould e an oos aor orbutor to te soluton o te undesrale challenges dented by te Minister’s plan Ths s partularl te ase as roeda ton and nterland s eperenng eponental rowth which s mrrored n te rowth eploson o te surroundng vllaes and tons Maor rowth as been sown to e oused on Ctes and ts strentens Drogheda’s ase for City Status and Grot Centre or a separate reon rom ubln e sumt tat roeda as unue advantages for roth and n te atonal and eonal nterest t sould e dented n te ne plan as a maor rowth entre with City Status Sustantal rowth as been sown to e oused on reons avng a ty as tere entre e set out ere-under our vson and our reasons why ts opportunt sould e grasped and why sare resoures nvested n roeda eon wll prove to e money well spent and reate a dynam and attratve reonal ty oused on te Lout Meat reon elpn nter ala to solve Dulin’s prolems and eplotn all Drogheda’s advantages n te Nationa Interest. 6 | Page Inrastructre and ailities hen onsidering areas sitable for the reation o sstainable ommnities onsideration mst e gien to the leel o inrastructre eisting and that reired to e proided rom the pli prse in the prsit o that poli. n this respet, Drogheda and distrit wold hae a onsiderable advantage ahead o man other enters. The inrastructre proision in Drogheda has been ahead o its time despite the la o reognition proided by the perios plan his leel o eisting proision proides an eellent basis to start ith the infill inrastructre reired for the deelopment o a sstainable growth enter whih will not ompete ith Dblin bt will rn in parallel and in doing so rede the pressre on the apital alloing both enters to deelop to their full potential hen onsidering Drogheda and the elements whih hae proen a strong draw for residential ommnities in the past deade e hae to e aare o both the natral orring inrastructre and the inrastructre whih has deeloped as a reslt o priate or pli investment. 7 | Page The natral orring inrastructre in the region eists in andane and proides a badrop to the qalit o lie aorded to residential ommnities in the area hese elements inlde the wealth o heritage aorded by Drogheda’s position as gatea to the one Valle inlding treasres sh as Negrange Oldbridge and the attle o the one site all within waling distane for the ton enter. ithin the town enter e also hae the Millmont omple one o the worlds inest Martello owers and Laurence’s ate one o the best eamples o a arbian ate emedded in remaining setions o the anient town wall to mention bt a e.