Residents offered final chance to shape town’s future

RESIDENTS of a West Cork town have until next Friday to give their opinion on everything from the location of traffic lights to paving, lighting and the promotion of local historical monuments as part of a major redevelopment plan.

Established last month, the Bandon Development Committee is seeking ideas, suggestions and opinions from townspeople on a variety of issues under headings such as tourism, marketing, safety and infrastructure.

The submissions, which must be emailed or posted to the committee by Friday, will form the backdrop to a Bandon Area Study to be carried out by professional consultants over the next six months or so.

“We want ideas about how we can improve the town and make more of our amenities,” explained committee chairman Trevor Collins.

Over the next two years he said, major construction work would be underway in the town as part of its long-awaited main drainage project and afterwards certain areas of the town would need to be re-constructed.

“This will give us a clean slate to start anew and we would like people to decide what they want the town to be — so if anyone has ideas about anything from the location of park benches to public walks or the promotion of cultural or historical events or monuments, this is the time,” he declared.

Other issues could be the completion of the town bypass, the availability of industrial units, green areas and civic amenities, he said.

“These will form the background to a Bandon Area Study which will be drawn up by a professional consulting group hired in conjunction with Cork County Council. This will determine the development of the town,” he explained.

P.O. Box 1, Munster Arms Hotel, Oliver Plunkett St Bandon; or [e-mail]