Exit Macroom Town Centre Heritage-Led Regeneration Celebrating Macroom's Rich Heritage In celebration of the positive impact of the bypass on life in Macroom, Cork County Council hired a highly experienced heritage team (Southgate Associates from Cork in partnership with Donald Insall Associates from London) to help local people to create a community-led regeneration plan for the town centre (with a particular emphasis on New Street and Castle Street). This project forms part of the Heritage Council's Historic Town's Initiative, a programme which aims to celebrate Ireland's most important heritage towns. As the team get to know the town, they have outlined a list of potential options for the community to consider. These ideas are purely the observations of the heritage team, with the intention of provoking community debate, and they do not in any way reflect the thinking of Cork County Council, who have not yet been consulted on the ideas contained below. Many other potential ideas will be sparked by this discussion, and may form the approach eventually prioritised. So, participate in the process and get your voice heard!By taking part in this survey, you help to prioritise potential choices, express favour for particular projects over others, and actively shape the future of Macroom town centre. (many of the images featured below are of examples of other town's regeneration projects, and are intended only as approaches to consider and discuss). A workshop shall be held in the Castle Hotel on Tuesday 26th of September at 7pm, to allow people to share ideas. Come along and meet the team! Thank you for your participation.Note: this is an anonymous survey, and no personal data is gathered or stored. Question Title * 1. Where do you live? In Macroom Town Centre Elsewhere in Macroom Town Elsewhere in County Cork Outside County Cork Outside Ireland Question Title * 2. How often to you visit Macroom? I live here Daily Weekly Monthly Very occasionally Just passing through Question Title * 3. How did you travel into Macroom town centre today? On foot By bicycle By public transport By private car Other (please specify) Question Title * 4. If you travelled by car, where did you park? In The Square In Supervalu car park In Dunnes Stores Car park In Aldi car park In the Castle grounds Car Park On the Main Street By O' Riada nightclub/pub Other (please specify) Question Title * 5. Are you happy with the parking situation in Macroom. Very satisfied Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Other (please specify) Question Title * 6. What was the purpose of your visit to Macroom town centre? I live here School or education Work Shopping Market Mart Food and or Drink Meeting friends or family An event Sport and recreation Just passing through Other (please specify) Question Title * 7. Thinking about Macroom's rich built, natural and cultural heritage, what is your favourite thing about the town? Question Title * 8. What is Macroom's most important historical structure/place, in your opinion? The Castle ruin The Castle Gateway The Castle demesne The Town Hall/ ie. the old Market House The Square The Bridge The traditional streetscape St. Colman's Church of Ireland Church St. Colman's Catholic Church Other (please specify) Question Title * 9. What makes this a special structure for you? Question Title * 10. What is Macroom's second most important historical building or place, in your opinion? The castle The castle demesne The Town Hall/ ie. the old Market House The Square The Bridge The traditional streetscape St. Colman's Church of Ireland church St. Colman's Catholic Church Other (please specify) Question Title * 11. What makes this a special structure for you? Question Title * 12. What is Macroom's third most important historic structure/place, in your opinion? The castle The castle demesne The Town Hall/ ie. the old Market House The Square The Bridge The traditional streetscape St. Colman's Church of Ireland church St. Colman's Catholic Church Other (please specify) Question Title * 13. What makes this a special structure for you? Question Title * 14. Have you any other comment on the heritage structures listed above? Question Title * 15. What aspects of Macroom's heritage should be celebrated more in your opinion, and how? For example, as well as buildings, natural landscape, music, language, poetry, etc. Question Title * 16. Does Macroom town centre (The Square, Main Street, Castle Street, New Street) provide the right balance of business and residential accommodation? needs additional office accommodation needs additional residential accommodation needs additional bar/cafe/restaurant accommodation needs additional retail space needs additional workshop space Other (please specify) None of the above Question Title * 17. In what ways do you think that The Square might be improved? Check the boxes which appeal. Provide a safe environment for pedestrians, wheelchair users, the elderly, small children to move safely Provide age friendly spaces, through regular seating and a trip-free environment Enable outdoor seating by cafes, bars etc. Increase the opportunity for more market and street trading activities Provide additional off-street parking adjacent to The Square to allow more space in the Square to be used for other activities Remove surplus street furniture to allow the town centre to be enjoyed without visual clutter (ie. street markings, raised kerbs, wiring etc). Conserve the old market house, and put it to greater use as a community and tourism resource Conserve the castle gateway, as the key symbol of Macroom. Create a central focal point in the Market Square of a water feature, such as a simply detailed fountain which can be turned off for markets and other events (see featured image) Uplight the historic buildings in the square to create focal points by night Provide more opportunities for people to return to living in the square, bringing greater life and security to these spaces at night, through encouraging the 'living above the shop' scheme for the development of apartments, possibly using backlands to access buildings and provide the necessary parking for these new residences Other (please specify) Question Title * 18. The castle grounds are owned by the people of Macroom, through a committee of trustees. They provide important educational, sporting and community uses. However the ruins of the castle itself are closed to the public. A further study to investigate opportunities is recommended. What suggestions do you have to support such a study. Question Title * 19. In what way do you think that Castle Street could be improved? Check the boxes which appeal. Conservation works to the old church, and its reuse for community/tourism purposes. Improve the presentation of the old bridge, and improve the presentation of the modern pedestrian bridge adjoining. Address vacancy and dereliction in the Castle Street/Bridge Area - encourage reuse of vacant buildings Uplight historic buildings and structures, including the church, the (possibly) Medieval gateway, the bridge, the old bridewell as part of a whole street lighting scheme (see example above of uplighting historic buildings). Some careful trimming of tree growth could protect the important views of church, castle and Square which are being lost over time, to allow the views between the different parts of the heritage centre to be enjoyed. Have a painting scheme and grants scheme to encourage colourful presentations and conservation of historic shopfronts and traditional housing styles Calm traffic on the bridge and Castle Street, ensuring slow speeds to deliver a people-centred pedestrian experience Provide interpretation scheme for the (possibly) Medieval archway to the Castle, for the church on the ancient site of the Medieval religious foundation in Macroom, and of the bridewell, all locations with a rich story to tell. Other (please specify) Question Title * 20. In what ways do you think that New Street could be improved? Check the statements which appeal. Provide uplighting for the court house, to enhance this important building by night Celebrate the riverside potential of the area beside O' Riada's nighclub, with a high quality seating area overlooking the water and the majestic Scots Pine trees. Protect views toward the town from New Street, and in particular of the castle, the Square and the church tower - trim trees which have damaged the important views of historic buildings. Provide good mapping and signage to ensure that visitors to the town are aware of the natural amenities of the town park (and castle demesne) loop walks and the riverside walk to the Fairy Garden Use the old mill race which powered the mills on the waterfront as an important visual amenity for the New Street area. Improve, landscape and maintain this important element of Macroom's historic story of work through the centuries. Re-open connection to the remaining operational mil at Massytown. The old mills on the riverside, as an important reminder of Macroom's history, where mills have been a feature of this area since at least the 17th century on the oldest map available. Encourage a new use if now vacant. Celebrate and interpret if still operational. Create an improved carriageway on New Street, to slow traffic moving through this largely residential area, which is also an important area for school children on foot. Ensure that the roads are shared spaces with pedestrians. Create wider footpaths on New Street for easier walking Create improved parking bays on New Street to encourage cars not to park on the footpaths, blocking wheelchairs, buggies and the sight-impaired. Explore options for rear access parking for houses on New Street to allow the street parking to be prioritised for elder parking, Plant small town-sized deciduous trees on the length of New Street, and maintain reasonable heights, and gather leaves quickly in Autumn Improve the street through the provision of painting and conservation grants, to assist owners to improve the historic buildings in the approach to the town centre Repair and protect the historic shopfronts of New Street, as these are becoming an increasingly rare sight in Irish towns. (Image above is of a recently conserved derelict shop in Kilfinane, Co. Limerick which has helped to transform the presentation of the town centre). Consider opportunities for mixed use development to activate New Street. Encourage new residential use of vacant properties on New Street, to bring a larger residential population back to the town centre Create a new public realm space at the corner of Hospital Road, with new paving treatments. Create new access points to the riverside walks from Upper New Street Create more loop walks by the river Other (please specify) Question Title * 21. What improvements do you feel should happen to Main Street? Check the boxes that appeal. Conserve the old train station, and consider carefully the future use of this site, as an important piece of Macroom's history Run a painting scheme, to encourage colourful presentation of buildings Encourage a living over the shop scheme for Main Street, as for The Square, outlined above Run a grant scheme for the buildings on Main Street, to encourage conservation of facades, old shopfronts, traditional approaches to window joinery and guttering to protect the Irish traditional streetscape Deliver a pedestrian-priority area, where cars are actively slowed, to create a positive retail experience in the retail heart of town. Other (please specify) Question Title * 22. Are there any other points that you think should be addressed in a heritage-led regeneration plan for Macroom? Question Title * 23. About you, what age bracket are you in? Under 18 years 18 - 35 years 36 - 55 years 56 - 75 years over 75 years Question Title * 24. Gender Female Male Prefer not to say Other (please specify) Done