Donegal County Council in partnership with Rathmullan-The Way Forward CLG is delighted to announce that Robin Lee Architecture have been appointed to provide Architect Led Design Team services to deliver a heritage led regeneration project in the historic core of Rathmullan through the stages of planning and (subject to funding) detailed design, construction supervision to final certification and handover.
The Project is rooted in the principles of heritage restoration, town centre renewal and rural regeneration in proposing the transformation of landmark and under utilised assets at the historic core of Rathmullan. Specifically the project will focus on two of the key built heritage assets in Rathmullan: The Napoleonic Gun Battery and Rathmullan Abbey both of which are Protected Structures. It is intended to celebrate these assets as heritage bookends to a refined heritage led public realm where social purpose, economic function and sense of place are firmly re-established. The project will also include the development of a Community Hub as a unique and flexible space with digital capacities for the community, business and remote working.
Welcoming the progression of the project to this important milestone Cathaoirleach of the Letterkenny & Milford MD, Cllr. Jimmy Kavanagh acknowleged the importance of town centre investment and regeneration at this time, saying, “the Council is committed to the development of transformational regeneration projects of this nature which drive investment in the renewal of our town centres and make a real difference to the attractiveness and liveability of our towns. This particular project comes at a vital time for Rathmullan and its wider community as they respond to the challenges of post-pandemic recovery. I am delighted that it will be delivered on the basis of partnership between the Council and the community.”
The project will commence with Stage 1 design services funded jointly by Donegal County Council and altruistic funding from The Tomar Trust, enabled by The Way Forward Group.
Welcoming the progression of the project to this important milestone John Gallagher of Rathmullan The Way Forward Group said, “we would like to express our gratitude to the Council and particularly The Tomar Trust in enabling the further development of this community project towards our collective regeneration goals”.
Michael McGlynn also from the Rathmullan Group commented that, “this heritage led regeneration project builds on many years of hard work at a grass roots level and we believe it has the potential to elevate Rathmullan as ‘a destination in its own right’. We are excited by the prospect of working with award winning Robin Lee Architecture in the design and planning phase and look forward to the emergence of the final project proposal”
Speaking about the project, Liam Ward, Director of Community Development and Planning Services with Donegal County Council says, “the project forms part of a broader and ever growing regeneration work programme for the County’s rural towns led by the Councils Regeneration and Development Team. I am delighted to see the partnership confirmed with The Way Forward Group. The Council is committed to working with local communities to develop transformational regeneration projects of this nature and to drive investments in the renewal of our town centres which make a real difference to the attractiveness and liveability of our towns”.
The planning stage has now commenced and the Design Team are working towards the publication of a planning scheme in Q1 of 2022. Robin Lee, Managing Partner at Robin Lee Architecture said, “we are looking forward to working with the Council, the community and all stakeholders to deliver this exciting project to the highest standards of completion in line with community expectations and the Council’s regeneration ambitions.”
Source: Donegal County Council
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