Town has been made 'a better place for everyone'

JUDGE'S COMMENTARY:Commenting on the overall effort, the judges said there was "an excellent atmosphere in Westport", while at every corner there was evidence of how the town had been made "a better place for everyone".

The judges particularly remarked on the new fire station in white with black detailing, which they said "stands out as a landmark building".

Universal accessibility to the recently upgraded swimming pool was an "enormous contribution" to the community, while a disabled access ramp to the local post office was also thoughtful and complemented the original building.

The approach to the town was good, while the freshly-painted Garda station with tiered landscaping worked particularly well, the judges said. The Tesco building in white made "a good architectural statement" and the nearby stone-built railway station had some good landscaping, they added.

A "very strong colour" was used for the Convent of Mercy, but in the view of the adjudicators it worked and helped strengthen the streetscape.

The Leisure Park and Cineplex buildings made "a great statement in modern design terms", while modern and old buildings which stood out in architectural terms included Matt Molloy's pub and The Home Bakery and Tea Room, as well as the R Walsh property on James Street.

"At the Allergen premises the long stone walls with railings on top were beautifully presented," the report continued.

The adjudicators heaped praise on the committee for its work with local schools in terms of a schools' bulb planting programme, litter control and environmental campaigns. A fair green area was of a particularly high standard, with much praise going to the gardeners.

The judges said the planting of nearly 250 new oak, ash and maple trees was a major undertaking and a great investment in the future of Westport.

Also noted were the wildlife close to the centre of the town with bat boxes, a river stocking programme and the development of a walks booklet.

In terms of future development, the judges were pleased with the "planning clinic" approach by which all potential developments were assessed by the community, commenting that it was a model that should be followed by many more towns in Ireland.

They were also very impressed with a computerised three-dimensional graphics tool used in planning and said they would be interested to hear the community's decisions on the future of the town hall. The judges said they would also be watching the development of key initiatives - such as the introduction of a gum litter taskforce campaign - with interest.

Good modern design sitting side-by-side with older more traditional buildings worked well, they said, while documentation on the various programmes under way was a good help.