The rejuvenation of the Balbriggan harbour and main street is to be the focus of a €20 million plan for the north Co Dublin town, to be announced on Thursday.
Fingal County Council has allocated €10m for investment in the town, and a further €10m has been set aside to build a coastal greenway between Balbriggan and Skerries, and develop Bremore Regional park.
A community group, chaired by Dublin City University president Brian MacCraith, was set up last May to draw up a plan for a revamp of the town, with input from local residents, organisations, and businesses.
Over 4,000 residents took part in a survey on the proposed plan, with 73 per cent of respondents opting to prioritise the redevelopment of the town’s main street.
Balbriggan is one of Ireland’s most diverse areas, with 28 per cent of the population born outside of Ireland. When it came to improving integration in the area, 72 per cent of survey respondents said more public spaces for young people to hang out were needed.
The plan for the town main street includes improving landscaping, creating space for public events, and repurposing derelict buildings.
The report proposes to redevelop the harbour area as a tourist and leisure destination, promoting the beach and small working fishing port as attractions.
The plan would also include upgrading Balbriggan library with a focus on new digital technology, commissioning public art installations around the town, and constructing new cycles lanes.
The level of engagement with the survey represented nearly a quarter of the entire population of the town.
Balbriggan is also one of the youngest large towns in the country, with an average age of 30.8.
