Growth Centres Commercial and residential developments are transforming Ashbourne into asignificant centre, reports Joe Armstrong
Ashbourne has been developing rapidly in recent years. Supervalue has recently changed hands, Tesco is the new kid on the block, Lidl has acquired land and is expected to seek planning permission in the near future and Dunnes Stores has acquired the Dardis & Dunns Seeds Ltd site opposite Supervalue.
The Co Meath village now boasts several restaurants, will soon have two gyms and the number of modern residential units that have sprung up in recent years has transformed its streetscape and ambience. Ambitious plans are afoot by the GAA for a four-pitch arena, clubhouse and state-of-the-art indoor training area.
A much needed bypass, although delayed, will certainly happen in due course and a current spat between Meath County Council and the Ashbourne Community District Council regarding accommodation for voluntary bodies will hopefully be resolved.
Michael King, president of the local chamber of commerce and chairman of the management committee of the shopping centre which has Supervalue as its anchor, denies that the opening of Tesco last February has put Supervalue and its shopping centre under pressure. He points out that as many as six residential estates are currently being constructed in Ashbourne, ranging from some 50 to 300 units per site, with a further 1,000 more houses in the pipeline to be built.
The population of Ashbourne is understood to have been some 8,500 in 2001. Meath County Council confirms that it is expected to grow to more than 10,000 by 2006 and to 15,000 by 2011.
Stephen Molloy, an ex-manager at Supervalue Ashbourne and now its owner-manager together with Fergus O'Reilly and Marie Mulrow, doesn't expect Dunnes Stores to open for four or five years. A spokeswoman for Dunnes Stores was unable to say when their retail store would open in Ashbourne. She had "no idea when it will come on stream" as things were at "very early stages".
Mr Molloy claims that Tesco is "trading very badly" and that Supervalue Ashbourne had in fact lost more customers following the opening two months ago of its sister Supervalue store in nearby Ratoath. Previously, residents of Ratoath used to shop at its Ashbourne branch. Supervalue Ashbourne was re-launched under its new management last Thursday with a do for business people. Celebrities invited included snooker champion Ken Doherty, the Rose of Tralee, GAA stars and local resident and Eurovision winner Johnny Logan.
Tesco Ashbourne was opened on February 10th last by Meath GAA football manager Sean Boylan. It is part of a €150 million new town centre being developed by Myles Crofton, Naus Investments Ltd. Employing some 100 people, Tesco's facilities include 1,000 car-parking spaces and a cash point. A spokesperson for Tesco said the Ashbourne store "is trading very well and we are delighted with performance. It is trading well up on our expectations. Any negative comments by competitors should be discounted."
John Bonner, chairman of Ashbourne Community District Council, claims that Meath County Council has reneged on a deal which would have seen community facilities provided for groups like the Society for Saint Vincent de Paul, Meals on Wheels, and local scouts and girls' guides. More than 400 people recently attended a protest meeting to express their anger over the alleged loss to them of new premises adjacent to the new county council building near Tesco.
A spokesperson for Meath County Council said that the council is committed to the provision of community facilities in Ashbourne. It has identified a site at Hunter's Lane, donated free of charge by a developer, and that "things are now in place for early development". She said the council has set aside €600,000 to develop new facilities.
According to former taoiseach and local TD John Bruton: "The county council wants to provide a library of a fitting size for Ashbourne. Equally, voluntary organisations want a proper place too." He believes that this is an issue that should be capable of being resolved by constructive dialogue.
Mr Bruton notes that Ashbourne is developing its own autonomous business sector where previously it tended to depend on Dublin or Blanchardstown. This reduces the need for residents to commute. "The issue of whether development (in Ashbourne) is too fast depends on the economy and consumer spending." He points out that people in the village appear to have more disposable cash, given the plethora of new restaurants there.
On the delayed bypass, he says: "It will go ahead. It is absolutely vital. People in Ashbourne are being trapped in their housing estates, especially north of the town," leading to a lot of "rat running, with traffic running through Ratoath".
The county council recently opened a new cemetery for Ashbourne. A company has been formed between the council and the landowner. The capital costs are borne by the county council while an agreement has been put in place for operating costs and profits.
Operating costs are supported by receipts from the sale of plots, while any profits are shared equally. Costs per plot are more than normal for rural graves but less than city plots.
