Locals’ views wanted on the regeneration of Newtowncunningham

Plans to improve road safety and reduce the number of heavy goods vehicles travelling through Newtowncunningham could lead to a complete facelift of the village.

A public consultation on a regeneration strategy for the village is underway until the end of the month with ideas being sought from residents on how the village’s centre can be improved.

Plans are already in place for measures to slow down traffic and improve infrastructure for pedestrians with six raised tables on the main street and a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights.

The plan also involves the widening of footpaths and a design team will be working to improve the overall look of the village including the addition of greenery and street furniture.

Speaking at a recent one-day public consultation in the village’s Columban Hall, local councillor Paul Canning said the people of the village will have significant input into what will be an overall masterplan for Newtowncunningham, a concept that work started on three years ago.

The initial plan centres around taking HGVs out of the village and making it more pedestrianised, he said. There is still a tendency for large vehicles to come through the centre of the village instead of using the main N13 between Letterkenny and Derry.

“Even though we have a bypass, there are still too many heavy vehicles using Newtown street as a shorter way of getting to the port in Antrim,” he said, with that route cutting 20 minutes off the journey to the Belfast road in Derry via the N13 through Bridgend.

He said he hoped the plan will also involve looking at derelict buildings in the town.

The plan should also include connecting the greenway at Blanket Nook which will connect Inch to the proposed greenway running from Buncrana to Derry, and there are plans for an underpass on the N13, he said.

There are also hopes for a town park at The Manse, a playpark and a teenage hub.

“We just want to give the place a bit of a lift because the population is getting quite big.”

He hopes work on the road will begin later this year once councillors give approval for Part 8 planning.

“We have to have tar on the road this year.”

Johnny Stewart, town and country planner with Coleraine-based GM design, is a member of the design team that has been commissioned by the community group, Newtowncunningham Focus Group, to produce a regeneration strategy for the village and the wider area from Blanket Nook to Moyle.

The public consultation is the first stage of the process which will result in an action plan.

“We are looking at what the community is going to bring forward and what they need and what they think will improve the village over the next five to ten years,” he said.

“There is a lack of public space, open space and there are aesthetic improvements that could be made to return it to its historical rural charm. It has experienced quite an expansion over the years and it’s about trying to see what the residents feel they need and what can be delivered through a regeneration strategy.”

An aspect of the plan could also involve drawing passing traffic into the village and encouraging people to spend time there and in the surrounding area.

There could also be a focus in the plan on some of the town’s older buildings.

“There are a number of buildings on the heritage register and anyone with a love of old buildings would like to see them preserved and upgraded.

“There are also a number of buildings that have been here since the village was created - they are important buildings as well but unfortunately, a lot of them are in worse condition than some of the more modern buildings and it would be nice to have them preserved in some way and maintained.”

Claire McCallan, architect in the community with Donegal County Council, said there is a two-fold approach to the plans - to deliver a “health check” for the village and a regeneration strategy as well as capital funding for a hangout zone for young people to gather.

The proposals will be evidence-based and create a vision for the village up to 2040, she said.

“It is very much about a community-led plan - listening to the community and the community needs and what they want rather than what we perceive they want. The premise of this is that it's project-driven, not funding-led. There is a huge community will which is coming to feed into the plan.”

Fiona Doherty, development officer for the council’s community and development section, said the regeneration strategy involves the integration of the new road layout with other plans for the regeneration of the village.

The plan will allow funding opportunities to be identified and “might also help create more entrepreneurial spirit in the village”.

The road improvement project involves the resurfacing of the road though the village, which has fallen into disrepair, and the giving over of some of the road space to active travel facilities which will involve the widening of footpaths.

Michael Canning, executive engineer with Donegal County Council’s roads design section, said funding will be sought from the National Transport Authority for the active travel elements that will accompany the resurfacing of the road through the village.

A preliminary design has been drawn up which will involve the six raised-table courtesy crossings and a “park and stride” area across from the local school which will involve a pedestrian crossing.

The main driver is to create a network of footpaths and crossings that will allow those that are mobility impaired to get from one side of the town to the other, he said.

“There is still a relatively large volume of traffic coming through the village and some of that traffic, we would like to get to use the national road instead of the route through the village.

“It’s about making it more a sense of place for the community instead of facilitating HGVs and large traffic and allocating that additional road space that we don't need for vehicles and making it a safer and more pleasant place for the pedestrian.”