The eagerly awaited Westgate Vision plan to transform the Westgate area of Drogheda, including Narrow West Street, the Old Abbey and Donaghy’s Mill, into a vibrant new cultural quarter has been plagued with delays and setbacks.

This week local Labour TD Ged Nash who, along with Councillor Pio Smith, first proposed the project, has revealed that An Bord Pleanála have missed yet another deadline in making a decision on the vital project.

“An Bord Pleanála originally said their decision on the plan would be made last June, that was subsequently pushed back to August and then to November but as we approach February of 2025, there is no white smoke from the Board” Deputy Nash said.

“I wrote to An Bord Pleanála this week to seek an update and while the Board was able to tell me the West Gate Vision plan was “in line for a decision”, it could not provide a time frame for the delivery of that decision.

The Board told Deputy Nash they would “endeavour to determine the case in the shortest timeframe possible”.

The Louth Labour TD said: “The West Gate Vision Plan has been in gestation since 2018 and there has been setback after setback.

“This is an enormously important Council-led public realm plan that can, with other measures this government has unfortunately refused to take, help kick-start the rejuvenation of the west end of our small city.

“The continuing delays in these early days of the project are extremely concerning and every day lost is a day when vacancy and dereliction is allowed grow.

“While the West Gate Vision is not a panacea, it is the kind of public realm development leadership we need to see from local authorities and which will encourage and leverage private sector investment too.

“Alongside this, it is very disappointing to see that the new FF/FG and Independents Programme for Government does not commit to extending the Living Cities Initiative tax break to towns like Drogheda and is vague on how these parties plan to tackle vacancy and dereliction.”