Dundalk Chamber make submission to County Development Plan

Dundalk Chamber say they have made a submission, both orally and written to the draft County Development Plan.

The submission focused on a number of key areas including:

• The need to maintain both Dundalk and Drogheda’s position as two of the 10 national growth centres under the National Development Plan,2040
• The need for more housing 
• The need for more sports and community facilities, which we believe have fallen behind
• The need for a strategic transportation plan, both rural and urban 
• The need for a night time manager to be replicated in Dundalk, based on the success of Drogheda pilot
• A tourist review of the region with our colleagues in Northern Ireland
• Greater number of charging points to enable a switch to electric vehicles
• To call on the National Government to extend the Living City Initiative  to all Growth Centres as defined by the NDP

The Chamber say that:

"Louth’s pre-eminence in the NDP must be protected now that the NDP is being reviewed. It is critical that the growth of Drogheda and Dundalk is not inhibited by a lack of housing or other basic infrastructure. This would include a more coherent transportation policy together with community facilities. It is the Chamber’s wish to see the region develop as a place to live and work.

"In order to live, vibrant communities are a requirement and ( particularly at a time with new resident), those communities   must be nurtured supported  and maintained. We note the Credit Union movement is committed to this.

"We strongly believe that the tourist market in the Gullion, Cooley Mourne  region and in particular Carlingford Lough could be developed further, specifically in the Adventure Tourism market.This offering plus the historic Boyne valley could see the region as a place to stay or base a holiday from rather than a day’s destination.

"We note the success of the Drogheda night time manager and would see a similar role for a Dundalk person especially given the third level students from DkIT."