Longford Co. Council has launched a UR Impact integrated action plan for Ballymahon, setting out a roadmap to strengthen social infrastructure, tackle isolation, and improve connections across the town.

The plan emerged from 2.5 years of work under the UR Impact project, an URBACT action planning network that brought together local residents, stakeholders and council representatives to place community needs at the centre of urban regeneration.

The URBACT programme is an EU-wide initiative to foster integrated urban development in Europe by supporting networks of cities and towns to exchange good practices and ideas. 

Under the most recent phase of the programme, in Ireland, there are nine projects underway, involving county councils in Longford, Clare, Fingal, Limerick, Meath, and Sligo.

In Longford, through extensive engagement, the URBACT local group in Ballymahon identified a vision: to create an environment where all sectors of the community feel part of the town and to support sustainable, community-led development with robust governance.

Four goals underpin the plan:

Develop a community-aligned governance structure to support project delivery and management;
Provide spaces for older people to socialise, engage and contribute meaningfully;
Create a town where young people are supported through high quality services and welcoming spaces;
Improve connections within Ballymahon.

Priority actions include establishing a men's shed and bringing Foróige youth services to the town.

An initial community event held recently at Bridgeway’s Family Resource Centre brought together representatives from men's sheds in Granard, Killoe and Edgeworthstown.

They shared their experiences with local men interested in starting a shed in Ballymahon.

Students from Mercy Secondary School and Ballymahon Vocational School met with Foróige youth services co-ordinator, Dawn Gorman, to explore opportunities for youth services.

Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr Garry Murtagh, said that the plan demonstrates what happens when communities are genuinely listened to and when action is taken on what matters to them.

He said: "The men's shed movement has changed lives across Co. Longford, and our young people need spaces where they can flourish.

Chief executive of Longford County Council, Paddy Mahon, said that the integrated action plan represents a fundamental shift in how urban regeneration is approached.

He said: "By placing social, economic and environmental wellbeing at the core, we're building something that will endure.

"The engagement and energy shown by Ballymahon residents gives me confidence that this plan will deliver meaningful, lasting change."