Thurles Municipal District Councillors are to consider the latest proposals from Planning officials in respect of the designs for Phase Two of the Liberty Square Public Realm Scheme affecting the west end of the Square but also including changes to Friar Street, Parnell Street, Cuchulainn Road and O’Donovan Rossa Street. The matter is before Monday’s monthly meeting due to begin at 10.30am. A Part 8 public consultation received 22 submissions mostly from local business owners.
Planning officials are said to be proposing that the scheme be approved with a number of small amendments.
The scheme as proposed will further reduce parking spaces in Liberty Square – particularly in the central island where 12 spaces will be converted into grass to reduce the number of people crossing from the parking space to local streets. Parking spaces will also be reduced along the boundary of the west end of the Square and on O’Donovan Rossa Street. Concerns have been expressed about the impact of the changes on access for customers and deliveries to businesses in the area of the project and as to whether overall traffic congestion will be impacted by additional pedestrian crossings – two new controlled pedestrian crossings are proposed in Liberty Square along with a raised table type junction at Parnell Street and Cuchulainn Road. Traffic on Cuchulainn Road and O’Donovan Rossa will become a one-way system. The project is being funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland who also made a submission in respect of how certain studies and designs were sequenced.
A description of the original design can be viewed at this link here.
