By Sarah Slater
TULLOW Road residents are expected to have their much-longed-for €4.7m community centre in two years’ time.
Minister Heather Humphreys recently announced €30m in funding for community centres nationwide.
Mayor of Carlow cllr Tom O’Neill explained at a recent meeting: “Carlow County Council received great news recently with the announcement of funding for the new Tullow Road community centre. All the councillors did a considerable body of work to get the centre over the line … well done to everyone involved.”
The councillors heard that the team in the council, including Michael Brennan and Michael Rainey, did a massive amount of work on the project. Cllr O’Neill added: “It was great to get a phone mail from the department and being told by an official: ‘Will you tell Carlow County Council staff who worked on the application it was one of the best applications the department has ever seen.’ This centre will be a real gamechanger for the residents and town along with Carlow Regional Youth Cervices.”
Cllr Fergal Browne said he would like to commend everyone who worked on the application to the department. “(They) did great work on it and not surprised the officials thought it was one of the best applications they had ever seen. The knock-on effect is a gamechanger.”
Cathaoirleach cllr Andrea Dalton noted that as a social worker for 30 years she knows what a fantastic effect the centre will have. Cllr Dalton said: “This centre has been looked for, I’d say, since the late 1990s. There are more than 26 housing estates on the Tullow Road and it’s the most heavily populated area in the town. It’s much needed up there. We have the money, we have the land, we have the designs. There should be no delay and it should be completed as soon as possible.”
Cllr Ken Murnane continued that the funding approval was a “great news story not only for the area but for all of Carlow. It’s really, really going to help the Tullow Road area.”
Cllr Adrienne Wallace said this (centre) is something the residents have been “very vocal about”.
Cllr Wallace continued that the residents have been “really looking” for it as they have been “starved” of resources. “I think it’s about time they got their slice of the pie. This was a joint effort and congratulations to all the efforts of those who work in the council, the councillors and residents.”
Director of services Michael Rainey revealed that design consultants have been appointed to the project and have also been engaged to carry out tender documents.
“Take that process and you give three to four months, then hopefully towards the end of this year, I’d expect an 18-month build,” said Mr Rainey.
Mr Rainey added that the council received €4.1m in funding and the overall spend is €4.7m. “The funding we received is really generous,” he said.
Concluding, cllr John Cassin said: “I just wanted to say how happy I am about the news. This is very, very welcome. It’s a lot of money for a big centre.”
