Green light for €3.5m Blacklion development

Councillors have given the green light to ambitious new plans to provide a new two-storey, co-working facility and community centre in Blacklion. The plans were rubber stamped at the Cavan Belturbet Municipal District meeting last week under Part 8 of the Planning & Development Act.

The scheme will involve the replacement of a property known locally as ‘Mooney’s Hall' and the redevelopment of the Fairgreen area.

The proposal was unanimously approved, and could pave way for new offices for the local Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark team, together with additional off-street parking for the West Cavan village, which can get particularly congested during weekends with visitors to Neven Maguire's MacNean Bistro.

The progress comes after Cavan County Council completed the acquisition of the bulk of the West Cavan village's Fairgreen area last year. The local authority had previously purchased a plot to the front of the property some years before.

The unoccupied ‘Mooney’s Hall’ meanwhile is in the ownership of Killinagh Community Council.

Councillors approved the demolition of the existing 'Mooney's Hall' building, and the construction of a new street-facing, two-storey, co-working facility consisting of shared office spaces, meeting rooms and associated ancillary spaces.

The remainder of the proposed plan concerns the construction of a new single-storey community centre at Fairgreen, incorporating a new hall space, canteen/ kitchen, sanitary facilities, and again, associated ancillary spaces.

Furthermore, the proposed development will allow for the development of 21 car parking spaces, including electric charging points, together with all soft and hard landscaping, and ancillary works necessary to facilitate the planned works.

Senior Executive Engineer, Derry Scanlon, recommended the granting of planning permission, with the approval of senior planner at Cavan County Council, Nicholas O'Kane.

Fianna Fáil's John Paul Feeley proposed granting planning permission for the development in partnership with the local community. In doing so he highlighted its potential for creating a new public amenity in the village.

He said the Mooney's Hall redevelopment would create additional office space for Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark, where the Geopark Team are currently located in one central office in the nearby MacNean Resource Centre.

Funding of just over €50,000 was secured to bring the project through detailed design and planning, with the plans and design delivered by Cavan architect Ronan Fitzpatrick of Craft Studios.

While there is no funding available for the projects at present, estimated to cost in the region of €3.5m to deliver and to be done on a phased basis, Cllr Feeley said it is still important to have the planning in place so that the council could now begin explore funding opportunities for the future.

The proposal was seconded by Fine Gael's Peter McVitty who described it as a “great development”.

He noted how the architect Mr Fitzpatrick had worked on plans for Market House in Ballyconnell also, and that people were very pleased with the outcome.

There was support too for the proposals from Independent Brendan Fay, who stated that the plans were only the first step. “If it didn't start somewhere it would never finish.”

Patricia Walsh (FF) also welcomed the approval, as did Cathaoirleach Áine Smith and Madeleine Argue (FG).