LETTERKENNY

Letterkenny: Heart of Donegal

October 2018

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Letterkenny: Heart of Donegal Strategy: October 2018Published by the Heritage CouncilÁras na hOidhreachta Church LaneKilkennyR95 X264ISBN: 978-1-906304-45-4 Queen’s University Belfast: MSc Planning and DevelopmentEdited by Catriona Blair, Neil Galway, Jason Martin, Dani Sterling and Killian Whyte

Contributions from: Anna Bradley, Ciaran Brennan, Jan Dziaba, Sean Elliot, Zhenyang Jin, Sean Kelly, Paul Magowan, Stephen McIlveen, DavidMcSwiggan, Danielle Moore, Emma Moore, Maria Mulholland, Emma Reid, Rachael Stewart, Steven Walker, Deirdre Watson, James Whatton,Helen Young and Zehan Zhou.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all of the individuals andorganisations who assisted in the completion of thisresearch by generously offering their time and expertisewith special thanks to Eunan Quinn and Sinead McAuley(Donegal County Council) for acting as clients and AliHarvey (Heritage Council) for her generous support ofthis project.

Dr Neil Galway and MSc Planning & Development students

3

MSc Planning and Development students being briefed at Dillon’s Hotel in January 2018

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Contents Page number

1. Introduction 6

2. Historical Development 7

3. Planning Context 8

4. Town Centre Living 12

5. Commercial and Retail 17

6. Public Realm 22

7. Tourism, Cultural and Built Heritage 30

8. Movement and Access 35

9. Recommendations 40

Appendices 41

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CONTENTS

1. Introduction

Many town centres across Ireland face themyriad challenges of vacancy associatedwith declining High Streets, low residentialpopulations, car-dominated streets andtired public spaces. The studentscompleting the MSc Planning andDevelopment programme were tasked withconsidering how town centres can adapt tothese challenges by creating an UrbanDesign Strategy and thematic Town CentrePlans for Letterkenny. These modules werecompleted with the planning staff inDonegal County Council Development Planteam acting as client.

It also acts as a gateway to the populartourist destinations for which the county isbest known with the Wild Atlantic Way andthe nearby Glenveagh National Park beingpart of the reason why Donegal was rankedtop of National Geographic’s Cool List in2017. ¹

Methodology

During two field trips to Letterkenny inJanuary and February 2018, MSc planningstudents completed urban design analysis,land use surveys, pedestrian counts, publicand retailer questionnaires and interviewswith key stakeholders to gain anunderstanding of how the town centrefunctions.

The class were briefed by council staffon the existing plan for the town andtheir initial concepts were critiqued inBelfast by representatives of DonegalCounty Council, the Heritage Council, RGData and the Cathedral Quarter Groupin March. After submitting their reportsthey were invited back to Letterkenny inJune to present a series of their ideas ata workshop for councillors and localstakeholders. This event was part of awider consultation exercise for thecouncil’s emerging plan for Letterkenny.

Letterkenny, as thelargest town inDonegal, is notonly the county’scommercial centrebut it also servicesthe cross-borderrural hinterland ofthe NorthwestRegion with Derry.

6¹ http://www.natgeotraveller.co.uk/smart-travel/features/cool-list-17-2017/

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2. Historical Development of Letterkenny

Letterkenny is described in the Civil Survey of 1654 as “a townwch hath a Markett evry ffryday and two faires in the yeare,with a large stone house, a bawne of fower flankers, a faireChurch and a bridge at the east end of the river Swolly”.

Today the town’s identifiable Main Street spine dates to themid-Nineteenth century when the town’s “expansiveprosperity” was subject of comment (see right – with 1837-42six inch map OSI inset). This expansion was due to burgeoningtrade and commerce with a weekly steamer to Glasgow inpeak summer months.

Letterkenny’s topography was central to the development ofthe town: “Set in a peaceful landscape of lush meadowsbacked by mountain screens, the town still has the air of a bigvillage, and rather an untidy one, lacking architecturalaccents. It consists principally of one main street straggling upthe side of a steep hill and down again” ².

In recent years, the town has expanded to the Southeast intothe lower lying meadows with large retail warehousedevelopments and the new council building at the easternedge of the large town centre boundary.

² Rowan, A. (1979) Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster, London: Penguin

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3. Letterkenny: Planning Context

Letterkenny is the commercial heart ofDonegal with a population of 19,274 whichis almost three times more than the secondlargest town of Buncrana (6785 occupants -CSO: 2016 census). The extent of the studyarea was set to correspond with theproposed town centre boundary in DraftCounty Donegal Development Plan 2018-2024 (see above centre and Appendix 1).

This boundary zoning clearly identifies thetraditional town centre around Main Streetbut it also includes a significant amount ofland to the east of this area. This reflects

the ambition to grow Letterkenny’s towncentre uses between Main Street and newcouncil building at point 1 on the abovemap. These lands include undevelopedinfilled land, industrial units, retail parkdevelopment (marked 2) and LetterkennyInstitute of Technology (marked 3).

The project parameters reflected thecouncil’s aspiration to grow Letterkenny to35,000 by 2038. The student brief was toplan for a liveable Letterkenny with a towncentre that catered for all ages andhousehold types.

This report is a summary of some of thestudent projects that were devised by theclass in close consultation with the peopleof Letterkenny. The following pagessummarise the students’ analysis of thetown centre land uses and footfall beforethe report moves into specific thematicsections with analysis and projects on:Town Centre Living; Commercial and Retail;Public Realm; Tourism, Cultural and BuiltHeritage; and Movement and Access.

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3

Land use map of Letterkenny

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Land uses wererecorded using theGOAD classification(see appendix 2). Theland use map showshow much retail floorspace was created tothe southeast of MainStreet during the CelticTiger period. It alsoillustrates pockets ofdereliction andvacancy in Lower MainStreet.

18%Main Street

Ground floor vacancy rate

Colour code utilised from Heritage Council’s Pilot Town Centre Health Check methodology.

Upper Main Street

562

Lower Main Street

328

Market Square

1295 Rosemount Lane

274

Library junction

574

Pearse Road

421

Church Lane

404

Survey of Footfall in Letterkenny Town Centre

Pedestrian counts wereundertaken at seven countpoints within the town centre,at three different intervals onFriday 2nd and Saturday 3rd ofFebruary, 2018.

The predominantly cold andwet weather conditionsexperienced during the surveyanalysis could have impactedupon the footfall experiencedon a Friday and Saturday.

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Letterkenny Project Proposals

HOUSING1. Living above the shops2. Mixed-use residential development3.Riverside Housing

COMMERCIAL & RETAIL

4. Pop-Up shops5. Mixed-use development

PUBLIC REALM6. Market Square7. Church Lane8. Carpark greening initiative9. Parklets

TOURISM, CULTURAL ANDBUILT HERITAGE10. Charles Kelly building11. Courthouse12. Laneways / Slip Strategy

MOVEMENT & ACCESSIBILITY 13. Transport Hub14. Greenway

3

2

7

6

1

8

4

5

13

1410

11

11

9

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4. TOWN CENTRE LIVING

Numerous residential pockets exist within the town centre.However, much of the housing in the traditional town centreis characterised by poor quality and substandard propertiesresulting in vacancy and undesirability. A furthercharacteristic of the town centre is underdeveloped land andgap sites which accentuate the disjointed and disconnectednature of Letterkenny town centre. The Riverside Apartments located between Pearse Road

and lower Main Street exemplify the current issue of poor design and poor quality of many of inner town

centre accommodation.

▪ Primary and post-primary schools areexperiencing oversubscription and arecurrently insufficient to meet projectedpopulation increases.

▪ The current healthcare provision would beinsufficient to service the projectedpopulation growth rate of Letterkenny towncentre.

Service Provision

KeyExisting residential pockets

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53%of respondents indicated a desire for more mixed housing developments

35%of respondents identified a need for more affordable and social housing

Traditional town centre

9%

Whiteland17%

South of the River28%

Outside Town Centre

46%

32%

26%

12%

12%

10%

8%

Semi-detached

Mixed

Apartment

Detached

Town houses

Above the shop

Where would you like new housing to be located?

Housing desirability in Letterkenny Town Centre

What type of new housing would you like to see more of?

Respondents’ Opinions of Town Centre Living and Green Space

58%of respondents stated there is currently a lack of green space in the town centre

51%of respondents expressed a desire for the incorporation of green space into new housing developments

32%of respondents

wanted a greenway in Letterkenny

Importance of green space

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Proposal 1Living Over The Shops

The promotion of housing in the traditional town centre,primarily in the form of converted above the shop space,provides sustainable development and regeneration. Livingover the shop (LOTS) allows for the integration ofcommunities together with the appropriate level ofinfrastructure and service provision.

Traditional town centre living will increase demand on retailand commercial services, boosting the local economy andcreating a vibrant town centre. This would promote furtherinvestment and an attractive place to live. The scheme tothe right is a good example from a Heritage Lottery Fundedproject in Bridge Street in Lisburn.

The implementation of LOTS could help to tackle the lackof available social housing by providing the funding tocomplete the necessary repairs of suitable vacant upperfloor spaces to bring them up to liveable standards.

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BEFORE AFTER

Image source: Orla Murphy – Town : https://vimeo.com/98429001

Proposal 2Mixed-Use Development

Benefits▪ Provides greater housing variety and density▪ Reduces distances between housing, workplaces, retail

businesses and other amenities▪ Reduces reliance on the car▪ Creates a strong neighbourhood character and sense of

place▪ Incorporates green, open space▪ Promotes a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly environment

Mixed-use development offers a combination of residentialand non-residential units which complement each other,providing urban-style living with walkable communities.

The economically underperforming site composed of thewhiteland located between Pearse Road and Port Roadpresents a prime opportunity for a mixed-use developmentwhere there would be a presumption in favour of mixed tenureincluding a 15% provision for social and affordable housing.The necessary service provision for a growing populationwould be incorporated into the development, including aprimary and secondary school, healthcare and a care home.

The provision of high quality, high density sustainable housing ensures the maximum number

of housing units available to meet the needs of a growing population and will encourage town centre

living.

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Mixed housingSecondary schoolStudent Housing

Primary schoolGP and care homeCommunity facilities Enterprise zone

Transport hub

Proposal 3Riverside Housing

Embracing the River Swilly and providing lower densityhousing on the whiteland North and South of the river will addto the variety of housing within the town centre, as well ascreating an attractive and sustainable environment forresidents and visitors.

It is acknowledged that Letterkenny presents a flood risk;however, development could be acceptable on the land Northand South of the River Swilly if the appropriate mitigationmeasures are put in place.

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5. COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL

The commercial and retail sector is separated into twoareas: Main Street and the retail park. Main Street iscomposed of mixture of independently ownedbusinesses, cafés, bars and restaurants. The retail parkis composed of multi-national stores, entertainmentservices and car dealerships. There is noticeabledisconnection between the the two main retail areasdue to the poor walkability of parts of the town.

Main Street is currently negatively impacted by vacantunits and dead frontages, which breaks up thecoherence and continuity of the streetscape anddetracts from the vibrancy of the local street life.Vacancy is also an issue within the retail park andadjacent industrial area as large units are sitting vacant.

Dead frontagesVacant unit

Map showing dead frontages and vacant units on Main Street

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Business Owners’ and Shoppers’ Opinions of the Retail Sector in Letterkenny Town Centre

Perception of connections between Main Street and the retail parks

… however, 61% of shoppers felt they

would be more inclined to shop on the Main Street if it

was less car dominated.

68% of Main Street retailers felt

business would suffer if on-street

parking was removed….

43%

18%

11%

10%

9%

5%

4%

Retail

Vacant Unit

Residential

Office

Leisure services

Public Service

Medical services

18%Ground floor vacancy rate

Main Street vacancy

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Very poor 93%

Adequate 14%

Land Use in Letterkenny Town Centre

What is your preferred shopping location?

Retail Park 71%

Main Street 29%

87%of business operators stated they have noticed a decrease in cross-border trade since the announcement of Brexit

93% of business operators believe that Brexit will have a negative impact on their business

Derry/Strabane and Donegal Paper on Initial Analysis of the Impacts of BREXIT (2017):

“Peripherality challenges in NW Region will only be compounded by the changes that Brexit will bring.”

“The truth about the impact of Brexit is that it is uncertain, beyond the ability of any human being to forecast and almost entirely

dependent on how the process will be managed. ‘Don’t know’ is the technically correct answer.”

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/181415/DCSDC_Brexit_Analysis.pdf

The Impact of Brexit on Trading

BREXIT

524

52

567

80

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

ROI NI ROI NI

Friday Saturday

Retail Park

92

70

21

85

0102030405060708090

100

ROI NI ROI NI

Friday Saturday

Main Street

Car registration counts taken from Main Street and the retail park over Friday and Saturday

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Proposal 4Temporary and ‘Pop-Up’ Retail Units

Pop-up shops aim to breathe new life into the town centre bypromoting temporary uses of vacant premises for entrepreneurstrading food produce, arts and crafts and small home-basedbusinesses. The pop-up uses have the possibility of adding tothe economic activity of Main Street, whilst increasing thelikelihood of a long-term tenant.

In the “Age of Experience”, some traditional shops are adaptingto become “third places” that offer experiences and spaces ofinteraction which online retailers cannot. For instance, No Alibisin Belfast holds regular concerts and readings to broaden itsappeal.

‘Pop-up shops’ would attract local entrepreneurs who want to try out new ideas, offer new products and attract new customers, generating footfall for

neighbouring retail outlets.

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Somewhereto_ offers an interesting example for thereuse of vacancy commercial premises. It is a UK-wide,Big Lottery-funded project that helps young people aged16-25 to access underused or vacant spaces. It lets themfind new platforms for their talents, build networks ofpeer support, and obtain skills endorsement to helpthem to pursue the things they love in enterprise, art,culture, and sport.

(http://www.placeni.org/somewhereto.html )

Proposal 5Mixed-Use Development

Benefits▪ Stimulates variety in the built environment▪ Promotes dense, compact and efficient use of land▪ Creates walkable and accessible environments

Mixed-use development can blend retail, commercial,residential and leisure uses, where those functions arephysically and functionally integrated, and is often the key torevitalising otherwise underdeveloped or blighted areas.

The economically underperforming site composed of thevacant warehouses on Pearse Road presents a primeopportunity for a mixed-use development where there wouldbe a presumption in favour of retail and commercial at groundfloor level, and residential and office space on upper floors.

Vacant and derelict warehouses on Pearse Road at the entrance to the retail park are unattractive and uninviting

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6. PUBLIC REALMCurrent Situation

Market SquareObservations of the market square revealed that itwas enclosed, inaccessible and claustrophobic. Themulti-level layout as well as numerous obstructionsincluding the monument, benches and over-growntrees contributed to the under-use of the space.

Cathedral Quarter

The historical and cultural significance of the Cathedral Quarter hasmade it a place of investment, through the grass-roots urbanrejuvenation project, which centred around breathing new life into anold and historic local street, Church Lane. Physical restoration tobuilding fronts, as well as organised local events have encouragedindependently-run businesses, such as a café, florist and vegan foodstore, to set up shop on Church Lane.

The undeveloped site on Church Lane, opposite St Eunan’s Cathedral,presents a prime opportunity to introduce further revitalisation intothe Cathedral Quarter, and add to its local and touristic interest.

The current enclosed and inaccessible Market Square

St Eunan’s Cathedral serves as a focal point due to its scale

and hilltop location.

The undeveloped site on Church Lane is a prime opportunity for

rejuvenation22

Public Perception of Public Space Quality in Letterkenny

How would you rate the quality of Cathedral Quarter?

Just over two-thirds of respondents felt thatthere was insufficient town centre parking…

However, the majority of respondentsdemonstrated a lack of knowledge andawareness of existing car parking facilitiesthroughout the town centre

80%of respondents travelled into Letterkenny town centre by car

58%of respondents felt that there was not enough public and outdoor space in the town centre

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How would you rate the quality of Main Street?

Project 6Market Square Redevelopment

“Towns used to have town squares. A space where people gathered. A place where ideas were shared, where art was

born, where businesses were started and philosophies debated. Possibility lived here. It was the heart of the city.”

Redevelopment of the market square would create an open,accessible and reenergised public space which the wholecommunity could enjoy. The historical market backgroundcould be reinstated in the new more open public square,

fostering the community ethos to create a heart of the town.

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Project 7Church Lane Gap Site

Development of the Church Lane gap site could enhance theCathedral Quarter by providing a user-friendly, functional andversatile open space. The design proposal incorporates anamphitheatre and could accommodate the reinstallation ofthe bandstand from Market Square. For this space to work itrequires active stewardship which should include aprogramme of events to animate this new place. The detaileddesign ought to consider an appropriate mix between activeand passive design elements to create an intergenerationalappeal.

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Project 8Carpark Greening Initiative

KeyUnderutilised multi-storey carparks

Rooftop GardenUnderutilised space from the rooftop of multi-storey carparks can beconverted into garden spaces for the community.A rooftop garden provides not only decorative benefits, but provides asmart way to enjoy a tranquil space in the heart of the town centre,where green space is lacking.

Lack of awareness of multi-storey car parks exists in Letterkenny towncentre. Incorporating a living wall or rooftop garden would make carparksa place of interest, thereby increasing common knowledge of theirexistence.

Living WallGreenery can be used to transform functionalbuildings, such as multi-storey car parks, into afine example of sustainability, while also addingaesthetic improvements and biodiversity.Environmental benefits of a living wall includeattraction of wildlife, CO2 absorption and filteringof rainwater.

Multi-storey carpark roof transformation

Ireland’s first green wall at Skainos Centre, Belfast - https://www.skainos.org/about-us/

Underutilised multi-storey car park on Pearse Road

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Public RealmLaneways

Public RealmGreening Initiative and Street Furniture

The revitalisation of the alley ways will reinforce a positiveimage of an urban environment, repair missing links and re-stitch Letterkenny, addressing the disconnection betweentraditional town centre and the retail park.A harmonious and walkable environment could be createdthrough a strategy comprising repaving, improved lighting,CCTV and the introduction of street art.

The current vegetation present in the traditional town centre isovergrown and inappropriate in scale, causing visualobstruction and over-dominance. Vegetation could be used tocreate visual interest, and to spatially organise and soften thebuilt environment.

Whilst the quantity of streetfurniture in the town centrecould be deemed acceptable,the quality and positioningcould be improved as a lack ofuniform light structures andbenches were observed.

Aesthetic improvements to thestyle and continuity of theexisting street furniture couldmake the street feel vibrant anduser-friendly.

The overgrown and inappropriately scaled vegetation currently

existing in Market Square

Updated street furniture has been

introduced on part of Main Street, however,

lower Main street remains neglected,

discouraging footfall.27

Public RealmPedestrian vs Car Dominant

▪ Free car parking in the retail park▪ 14 car parks which were underutilised▪ 1748 car parking spaces▪ Maximum 2 hour stay at on-street parking

The incremental removal of the short-stay on-street parkingand promotion of existing off-street parking within thetown centre through well placed directional signage anddisplaying of parking availability could reduce the cardominance currently experienced in the town and make thestreets more walkable and pedestrian-friendly.

There is a perception among locals that there is nowhere topark in the centre of Letterkenny, however, the private multi-storey car parks can accommodate over 1,200 cars and are allwithin a five minute walk, or less, from the main street.

Creating streets to be pedestrian-friendly rather than car-friendly will increase footfall and vitality in the town

centre.

The current car dominant nature of Main Street

Computerised signage of available off-street parking

Due to the highpedestrian volumeobserved at the Libraryjunction, theimplementation of apedestrian crossingwould be advisable topromote pedestriansafety and walkabilityof the town.

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Project 9Parklets on Main Street

Another way to improve the pedestrian environment andcreate a less car dominated town is through the use ofParklets, which originated in San Francisco. They could beused as a way to take back the street in an incrementalmanner building upon the previous public realm project byproviding a social setting and humanising an area previouslyused for on-street parking. This temporary form ofintervention is planned to be trialled in Belfast in Septemberas part of Better Bedford Street.

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7. TOURISM, CULTURAL AND BUILT HERITAGE

Letterkenny is a growing market town that functionspredominantly as a commercial centre in a county that isbest known for its rugged scenery and associatedtourism which made Donegal top of NationalGeographic’s Cool List for 2017. Added to this has beenthe marketing success of the Wild Atlantic Way andestablished attractions such as Glenveagh National Park(below). Letterkenny has a local reputation for itsnightlife and attracts regular visitors from neighbouringcounties but the town does not appear to maximise thepotential of its cultural and built heritage to attractvisitors to the wider region.

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Letterkenny has a good variety of cultural heritage attractionswith the Regional Cultural Centre and Donegal CountyMuseum being housed in existing and future heritagebuildings within the town. The location of the tourisminformation office in the periphery of the town centre wasdeemed to limit the potential to raise awareness of localcultural events and exhibits hosted by these venues.

Letterkenny’s traditional spine along Main Street with theadjacent Cathedral Quarter contains a number of significantprotected commercial, religious and former institutionalproperties with the Cathedral being the dominantarchitectural form within the town due to its height andprominent location. The Cathedral Area which is designatedas an Architectural Conservation Area contains pockets ofderelict historic buildings which also afflict Lower MainStreet.

Built Heritage

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Respondents’ Opinions of Tourism, Culture and Built Heritage in

Letterkenny 58% …of respondents see Letterkenny as Donegal’s Commercial hub

However, 32% of

respondents stated that they did not

feel safe in Letterkenny in the

evenings

0123456789

10

How would you rate the following services in Letterkenny?

72% of

respondents stated that Letterkenny had

a good night time economy…

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Letterkenny?

SHOPPING CATHEDRAL TRAFFIC

NIGHTLIFE TOURISM INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

What would improve Letterkenny’s tourism?

• More promotion of historical assets• Better signage • More central location for the tourist office• More events and attractions

Yes22%

No66%

Indifferent 12%

Do you think Letterkenny is a tourist destination?

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Adaptive Re-useAdaptive reuse is a sustainable form of development as itincorporates existing structures into new developments that willbreathe new life into the town centre, while still maintaining itsbuilt heritage.

Projects 10 & 11Charles Kelly Building

Old Courthouse

Old CourthouseAnother opportunity site for adaptive reuse, is the proposalfor a small tourist centre at the vacant Old Courthouse. Thiswould greatly improve the accessibility of Letterkenny’stourist assets in the town due to its central location. Theopportunity site will encompass a multi-use developmentwhich includes a small tourist office, community café andan exhibition centre. To make the site more accessible ashared space project for the large junction outside thebuilding has been proposed. This would allow safermovement and access to the location and improvedaccessibility for other forms of transport.

Charles Kelly BuildingA prime location for adaptive reuse is the historically significantCharles Kelly building that is situated on lower Main Street. Theprevious use of the building was associated with the 19thCentury Letterkenny town corn market. The proposal is to reusethe building as a high tech multifunctional and diversifiedcultural, arts, and education centre based around sustainableliving. This would help in regenerating lower Main Street aroundsustainable innovation that would help increase the low foot falllevels in the area.

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Proposal 12Laneways/Slip Strategy

The promotion of retail development in vacant units on MainStreet and on the laneways/slips such as Justice Walsh Road,Rosemount Lane and St Oliver Plunket Road would improvewalkability and connectivity between Main Street and the retailpark.

Filling vacant units and encouraging new retail services wouldnot only introduce economic vibrancy into the town, but wouldalso re-stitch the current disconnection and create one cohesiveprimary retail core. Updated example on lower Main Street of a retail establishment

rejuvenated, creating a more attractive setting helping to increase the low foot fall counts in the area.

Gap sites and vacant buildingsare a common feature of theslips (secondary streets)between Main Street and theretail park. Justice Walsh Road,Rosemount Lane and St OliverPlunket Road could offer primelocations for reanimation offrontages and development ofgap sites. The regeneration ofthese secondary streets througha “slips strategy” could help tore-stitch the two disconnectedretail areas.

34Laneway/slip improvement areas

8. MOVEMENT AND ACCESSIBILITY

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Letterkenny is the primary economic hub in Donegal and itserves a large rural cross-border hinterland. The private car isthe dominant means of transport with congestion particularlyevident at peak times in Letterkenny especially on Main Streetas there are poor public transport alternatives. The quality ofthe footpaths between Main Street and the commercial retailpark was identified as a particular problem with RosemountLane (below) having a rural character with no footpath.

The closure of the railway line generations ago coupledwith the poor provision of bus services (with no townbus service) means that there are no viable alternativemeans to private cars for longer journeys. Thismanifests itself in the town with the above imagetypical of our experience with high levels of on-streetparking and slow-moving traffic running through theheart of Letterkenny. This reliance on cars is in partdue to the suburban sprawl of the town withsignificant development opportunities to get morepeople living within walking distance of the town’scommercial and cultural amenities.

Respondents’ Opinions of Transport and Movement in Letterkenny

43%37%

8%12%

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NO OPINION DISAGREE

How much do you agree/disagree that driving is easier than using public

transport?

How often do you walk into Letterkenny town centre?

43%…of respondents identified a greater need for public transport to improve the accessibility of Letterkenny.

Other issues identified for accessibility improvements included:• Better lighting • Road safety measures• Cycle paths • Public footpaths

Yes62%

No23%

Unsure 15%

Would you use the bus if a better public transport service was

introduced in the town?

…of respondents agree that the car is an easier mode of

transport

80%

15%

6%

11%

7%

34%

27%

Never

Yearly

Weekly

Monthly

Less than yearly

More than once a week

36

The proposed linear park could act as a cycleway thatintegrates into the NW Greenway Plan, which proposesto enter the town centre at the tourist informationoffice. The new greenway would offer a traffic-free routerather than the current proposals to send cyclists alongthe Neil T Blaney Road.

Project 13Transport Hub

To encourage modal shift from the private car in the spiritof the below sustainable transportation hierarchy,Letterkenny needs to create more sustainable communities.Ideally these would comprise mixed use developments thatincorporate medium-high density residential units withcommercial opportunities and commercial facilities withinwalking distance with improved cycle infrastructure. Aproposed multi-modal transportation hub (example fromBratislava pictured) opposite Letterkenny Institute ofTechnology (LYIT) with pedestrian and cycle linkages ontothe Linear Park and a town centre bus service would offeralternatives to the private car and reduce the need for carparking. Proposed bus route Proposed transport hub

Proposed cycle lanes Proposed linear parkProposed controlled crossings

37

Project 14Suilleach Greenway

Biodiversity

The greenway will offer an opportunity to enhance naturalhabitats within the town centre through the utilisation ofbiophilic design principles. Planting which complements theexisting natural assets and ecosystem services will beintegrated into the final design to provide better ecologicalcorridors. The Suilleach Greenway will offer an urban oasis forresidents to experience nature.

38

To grow the traditional Main Street core towards the councilbuilding to the east it will be necessary to invest in highquality urban infrastructure to attract businesses and towncentre residents. The creation of a cruciform linear parkfrom the tourist information to the east to the fringes of thetraditional retail core in the west and Letterkenny Instituteof Technology in the North to the river Swilly in the southcould provide an attractive and resilient space which couldact as a catalyst for the wider development of the enlargedtown centre. Drawing upon local legend, it is proposed toname the greenway after the mythic dragon, Suilleach, fromwhich the river Swilly derives its name.

Flood Mitigation

Offline ponds are great run off attenuation features that canalso act as natural habitats for pond and bird life. Thesefeatures force water out of the river into pre-constructedstorage areas before releasing it back into the watercourse.The example from Rabalder Park in Copenhagen is a skatepark that can act as an overflow store when water levels arehigh. Natural interventions such as afforestation cancontribute to Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) byincreasing interception and storage and reducing surface runoff.

Movement and AccessibilitySuilleach Greenway

Leisure facilities

To cater for all sections of Letterkenny society, the SuilleachGreenway has been designed to incorporate both active andpassive zones which should ensure that it works both as atransport corridor and a place for social interaction as well.The greenway will be connected to the new transport hub toallow for segregated cycling into the centre with links to theNW Greenway to the west and east of the Suilleach. Theinclusion of sports facilities and sittable spaces will create adegree of urban surveillance to ensure that the site is safe.

39

To realise the ambitious growth targetsfor Letterkenny it will be necessary toensure that the planning systemfocuses new development within thelarge town centre boundary asplanning practice in Letterkenny is at acrossroads. Does it continue with thetype of suburban and rural sprawlwhich fuels car-dominated urbanismor focus on creating a sustainable towncentre community?

To re-humanise Letterkenny towncentre, MSc planning studentsrecommend utilising its vacant builtassets, regenerating itsunderperforming spaces and creatinghigh quality urban infrastructure thatwill stimulate private sectorcommercial and residentialdevelopment. This potentialinvestment in public spaces andinfrastructure would demonstrate aleadership that prioritises the qualityof life of existing and future residents.In-so-doing it will make the town adestination for the tourists that enjoyDonegal’s dramatic landscapes.

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9. Recommendations

POSSIBLE NEXT STEPSWhilst this is a student exercise, thepragmatics associated with the phasing ofprojects was part of the wider brief.

YEAR 1

Whilst the challenges associated withownership are acknowledged, theadaptation and reuse of existingheritage assets proposed in projects 1,4, 10 and 11 were deemed to be mosteasily implementable short-termprojects. Similarly, the utilisation oftactical urbanism for the light touchinterventions of car park greening andparklets (projects 8 and 9 respectively)are reversible and have lowerimplementation costs and could berealisable in the short-term. To identifyhistoric properties that can be restoredand adapted it is recommended that aBuilding Condition Survey of HistoricBuildings is undertaken.

YEAR 2

The projects identified as mediumterm involve the regeneration ofexisting underperforming spaces in thetraditional town centre. These includeprojects 7 – Market Square and 12 –lane/slip strategy. The slip strategy isvital to create the linkages necessary

for the redeveloping new town centreto be sutured onto the traditionaltown centre and the redevelopment ofMarket Square is necessary to create avibrant focal public space. Whilst theseprojects may not be realised in theshort term, further research into theirdesign and viability could becommissioned in the short term.Similar lane strategies have developedin Melbourne and Glasgow³ and arebeing developed in Dublin.

YEAR 3

The remaining projects 2, 3, 5, 7, 13and 14 were deemed to be more long-term due to their cost and location aspriority was given to the restoration ofthe existing buildings and public spacesin the short and medium term. Theimplementation and investment inquality urban infrastructure such asthe Suilleach Greenway andTransportation Hub will be crucial as acatalyst to drive the creation of a newtown centre that is a desirable locationfor all.

https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/parking-and-transport/streets-and-pedestrians/Pages/love-your-laneways.aspxhttps://www.glasgowcitycentrestrategy.com/city-centre-lane-strategy.htm

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Appendix 1: Study Area

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Appendix 2: GOAD Land Use Classification

'Pilot' TCHC Training Programme 2016 - General Town Centre Health Check Land/Building use Classification

Town Centre Boundary - TCHC Study Area Preferably should match the boundary set out in the Local Area Plan (LAP) or County Development Plan (CDP), as per pilot TCHC methodology -please state source

Primary Retail Area (PRA) - optional Sourced from LA Retail Strategy or other adopted documents and stratgies - optional - please state

GOAD Classification: Fill (on GIS land use map) Description of use

Comparison Non-food/non-perishable items where customers compare prices e.g. Clothes, jewellery, footwear, furniture, etc.

Convenience Food items (perishable) which people do not normally travel far to purchase e.g. Convenience stores, deli, bakers, CTN (confectionary, tobacconist, newsagent)

Retail Service Services including hairdressers, post offices, dry cleaner, clothes hire shops, beauty salon, etc.

Other Retail None of the above or listed - uses not listed in COM1-COM36, CNV 1- CNV11, RS1-RS13

Leisure Services Bars, restaurants, cinemas, fast food takeaways, cafes, hotels and guest houses, concert halls, theatres, etc.

Financial and Business Services Building society, banks, legal services, legal services, financial services, etc.

Health and Medical Services Dental surgery, health centre, nursing home, doctors surgery, veterinary surgery, etc.

Public Service Council offices, advice centre, library, tourist information, community centre, emergency services, educational establishment

Religious Service Place of workshop, churches, church halls, religious meeting rooms, etc.

Vacant Unit Select Black Cross Hatch Vacant premises - black hatch with previous or preceived use as an underlay, wherever possible

Storage and Warehousing Storgage / Warehouse (excluding retail warehouse - see COM 4, 11, 12, etc.)

Residential Residential - for vacant residential please use black hatch as overlay

Open Space Open space, park

Walkways/cycleways/bridle paths Walkway, cycleway, bridle path

Other Buildings For buildings generally outside the study area.

Car Park - Surface Parking Symbol Surface car park

Car Park - Multi-Storey Parking Symbol Multi-Storey car park

Prepared by Heritage Council, UCD, Kerry County Council, Tipperary County Council and DoHPCLG, February 2017

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