Lusk Town Centre First Plan Launched

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Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Joe O’Brien last Friday joined the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, to launch Lusk for Life, Fingal’s first Town Centre First Plan. Development of Lusk for Life was supported by Fingal County Council and the Department of Rural and Community Development under The Town Centre First national policy. 

Town Centre First aims to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community.

Town Centre First lays the foundation for each town to develop, at a local level, their own path forward expressed through a tailored town plan which is underpinned by a clear diagnosis of local strengths and challenges. 

Lusk was one of twenty-six pilot Irish towns awarded funding to prepare a Town Centre First Plan under this national policy. Lusk for Life builds on the work of ‘Lusk Vision 2030’ which included an extensive and in-depth community engagement process. This included a public survey with over 750 respondents and multiple community workshops. In the development of Lusk for Life, the consultants worked closely with the Local Authority, the new Lusk Town Team, the local Community and local Businesses. 

Lusk for Life aims to make Lusk town centre a more attractive place to live, work, socialise, congregate, and run a business. It has a focus on developing local community amenities, supporting existing businesses, facilitating new business opportunities, tackling vacancy and dereliction, and developing underused spaces. The plan meets wider aims to help re-imagine and revitalise Lusk.

Lusk is a compact urban settlement, with almost all amenities, housing and businesses within the confines of the ring road, making it easily navigable on foot. Lusk for Life includes actions to ensure Lusk town centre thrives. Actions include a wayfinding strategy connected to the historical past of Lusk, active travel plans and upgraded public realm to ensure a town centre that can serve the needs of future generations. Lusk for Life proposes to reinvigorate the town centre and the green areas within a short walking distance of the town core. 

Speaking at the launch Cllr Adrian Henchy, Mayor of Fingal said that ‘Lusk for Life aims to build community pride and cohesion, alongside improvements in facilities and public amenities to ensure Lusk is a town where all ages are proud to live. I welcome this plan as a significant step forward in the future development of Lusk’. 

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council AnnMarie Farrelly commented that ‘this is an ambitious plan for the future development of Lusk, which places community needs first, and which aims to create a more attractive and connected place where people want to live, work, visit and do business. Implementing this plan will build pride of place through streetscape enhancement, ambitious proposals for new community facilities and green amenities. Funding streams are suggested for all actions.’ 

Minister Joe O’Brien said that ‘the projects in Lusk for Life include actions to build cross-generational community cohesion. Many of these actions can be supported through funding available in my department aimed at helping towns to deliver the interventions identified in their bespoke Town Centre First Plans. I look forward to seeing the plan implemented in Lusk in the years ahead.’ 

The town plan Lusk for Life was completed by an experienced team of urban design and community development consultants headed by AP+E which worked with the Council’s Town Regeneration Office and Lusk Town Team.