Castleblayney was selected in 2019 as one of six pilot towns in the country to participate in the Town Centre Living Initiative. As part of this initiative a report, A Town Centre for Living in Well, was completed in 2021. The provision of a regeneration plan for the town was a key recommendation of the report.

Monaghan County Council, as an action of the Carrickmacross/Castleblayney Municipal District Council, developed the brief for this regeneration framework plan which seeks to deliver a study / design strategy which identifies opportunities and generates interest in residential, commercial, mixed uses and development that will add vitality and vibrancy in the town centre. To achieve the optimum potential mixed uses for the study area the Council believes it is necessary to have a regeneration framework plan in place to guide future sustainable development approaches in this area of the town centre.

This is a Framework Plan which provides a vision statement supported by project scenarios developed in response to research, survey and analysis of the town centre lands; stakeholder engagement, and development of focused regeneration aims and themes. Further design development and engagement is required if the scenarios are to be implemented.

The selected area is bounded by Main Street to the south, Muckno Street to the east, McGrath Road to the northwest and Monaghan Road to the west.

This regeneration framework plan has been informed by the following activities:

• Stakeholder Engagement, through public and stakeholder engagement gathering feedback on perception of the town

• Identification of assets and challenges, using research and analysis of the town and discussions with stakeholders

• Defining a number of Regeneration Aims and Themes, to guide, assess and monitor specific projects and initiatives

• Project Scenario proposals, masterplanning of plan area interventions and developing design approaches and scenarios for projects.

The full report is available here.