Council gives approval to ambitious plan for key Mayo site

Councillors in Mayo have unanimously approved a proposal to sell part of the military barracks site in the heart of Castlebar to Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB).

The board plans to develop a state-of-the-art educational facility designed for over 1,000 students on the town-centre site.

The proposal was warmly welcomed by councillors at their meeting last week who were told that the full site spans six acres and includes 14 listed structures (protected under the Mayo County Development Plan 2022-2028), including the barracks wall, the steps, the offices, the quarters, the turf shed, the cobbling, the handball alley and the firing ranges. The site was purchased by Mayo County Council in 2022 for €600,000, following a caretaker agreement since 2012.

MSLETB plans to transform the barracks site into a new third-level facility offering programmes in agriculture, sciences, healthcare, humanities, mechanics, and biopharma, with dedicated spaces on-campus for engineering, hairdressing, and beauty therapy training, as well as an employer engagement hub, public and community spaces and enhanced connectivity with walkways, greenways, and public transport access.

A total of €2.44m has been secured under Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) funding for works to make existing buildings safe. It was also noted that a proposal to re-allocate funding earmarked for the development of an innovation hub at the former Imperial Hotel would be generally acceptable in the event of the hotel being sold.

Councillors were advised that the council will retain about 1.2 acres of the site that includes Bridge House, leased to the Irish Defence Forces, as well as the entrance gates and Gate House on Lower Charles Street.

It was also stated that it will take many years for the full potential of the site to be realised, given its archaeological significance, which includes the remains of an Anglo-Norman castle. Nonetheless, the proposal makes the case that the development would constitute the largest educational investment in Mayo's history, driving economic growth and strengthening the profile of Castlebar as a third-level town, while providing a boost to local employment as well as significant investment during the construction phase with ongoing high-quality employment opportunities in the third-level sector.

Proposing the disposal of the site, Cllr Al McDonnell said the plans constituted one of the most exciting proposals to come before the council for years and he hoped they would come to fruition.

Seconding the proposal, Cllr Blackie Gavin said work had been going on behind the scenes for approximately seven years to develop what will be a wonderful centre of excellence for the town and congratulated both the ETB and Mayo County Council for the substantial work they had carried out on the project to date. 

Paying tribute especially to Director of Planning, Catherine McConnell, Cllr Gavin said: “This is fantastic news and one of best stories to come out of this chamber for a long time.” 

Cllr Harry Barrett said the new college will put Castlebar on the map, while Cllr Donna Sheridan said it will truly transform the town and bring energy and life to it. The project was also welcomed by councillors Gerry Coyle, Peter Flynn and Michael Kilcoyne, with several requesting that definitive timelines be set to ensure the project is achieved.

Ms McConnell said that a project of such ambition - and on a site with such history, archaeology and protected structures - would naturally take a considerable length of time to complete, given the many rounds of approval and design necessary.

Cllr Al McDonnell said he just didn’t want it going on for 12 to 15 years, to which Ms McConnell said the council would endeavour to expedite its work around closing the contract in as short a timeframe as possible.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.