Athlone Linear Town Park site to be cleared of undergrowth

As part of its commitment to develop what is known as a Linear Town Park on the west side of Athlone, Westmeath County Council has appointed a consultant to provide advice on the treatment of overgrowth in the Ranelagh area.

This was the welcome news imparted to Cllr Frankie Keena at the July meeting of Athlone Moate Municipal District when he asked the council to prepare a schedule of works to remove all necessary overgrowth in the area of the proposed park, to be carried out next autumn.

A written answer which was provided by the council indicated that the specialist consultant who has been appointed will advise on the treatment of overgrowth ”in the Ranelagh area in a manner that is beneficial to flora, fauna and biodiversity.”

The outcome of the study in which the consultant is currently engaged will be “implemented in the cutting season, from September onwards”, according to the council reply.

The proposal for a Linear Town Park on a parcel of land in the vicinity of Ranelagh, along the banks of the Shannon on the west side of Athlone was first mooted over a decade ago, and the council reaffirmed its commitment to the project in September 2021 when a meeting of the local municipal district was told that the local authority was “in the final stages” of appointing consultants to carry out an Urban Design and Placemaking Study for the centre of Athlone as part of the Tourism and Cultural Quarter Regeneration project.

That meeting heard that the study would consider all of the required projects in the area “including the creation of a park at this location and associated amenity improvements on the west side of the town.”

The parcel of land where the proposed Linear Park is due to be developed is owned by the IDA, but Westmeath County Council has a 999 year lease on it.