New report to provide baseline for revitalisation of Letterkenny

The findings of a major new survey of the strengths and opportunities for Letterkenny will be launched today by the Heritage Council, Queen’s University Belfast and Donegal County Council.
The survey reveals people’s impressions of the town’s commercial and cultural options along with parking and entertainment facilities.
Both shoppers and business people felt that the historic town would benefit from an improved public realm, additional residential accommodation and further investment in its built, cultural and natural heritage.
The report will help to inform plans for the future management and revitalisation of the historic town centre.

The report entitled Letterkenny: Heart of Donegal, October 2018 focuses on the survey results of a number of key indicators of the overall health of the town centre, including: level of town centre activities, land/building use/commercial mix, pedestrian footfall patterns and business operators and shoppers’ perceptions of the quality of the environment of the historic town.
The surveys showed that:
93% of business operators feel that Brexit will have a negative impact on their business;
80% travelled into Letterkenny by car;
58% felt there was not enough public space in the town centre;
93% felt that the connections between Main Street and the retail parks were very poor; and
29% identified Main Street as their preferred retail location in Letterkenny.

The completion of physical survey work, interviews and questionnaires informed a number of policy and design proposals and ideas to regenerate Letterkenny. These include the creation of a multi-modal transportation hub, an urban greenway network to connect Main Street to the Letterkenny Public Service Centre; enhanced public realm along Main Street and Market Square and a ‘Slips strategy’ to improve the connections from Main Street to the more recent developments on Pearse Road and beyond.
In January 2018, Queen’s University Belfast, supported by the Heritage Council and Donegal County Council, set up a town centre project as part of the National Collaborative Town Centre Health Check Training Programme.
Toni Forrester, CEO of Letterkenny Chamber highlighted that the report provides useful signposts for the future: “A healthy and vibrant town centre is important for everyone who lives, works and visits Letterkenny. As we work to develop Letterkenny and realise its ambitions this report has given us a focus and ideas that stakeholders have embraced. It offers a great step forward in helping to further enhance what Letterkenny has to offer its citizens and visitors and to strengthen its image – both nationally and internationally.”