to download the Ballisodare Village Design Statement

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION PROGRAMME 

A variety of community consultation 

techniques were used to ensure that a 

wide range of local residents participated 

in the production of the V.D.S over a period 

of five months in late 2001 and early 

2002. These techniques included: 

• Meetings with Ballisodare Community 

Council and Sligo County Council; 

• A “Key Issues Report” was produced 

and distributed to local residents, 

highlighting important issues arising 

from preliminary site visits. Ten 

character areas were identified for 

analytical purposes, and local residents 

were invited to comment and to 

identify additional key issues for 

further debate at the V.D.S workshops; 

• An exhibition of a preliminary "Key 

Issues Report" in the village, to 

promote awareness of the project and 

the V.D.S workshop events; 

• A "Community Photo Survey" which 

was conducted by Community Council 

members, highlighting the key 

features that they liked, disliked, and 

wished to improve or retain within the 

village for discussion during the V.D.S 

workshops; 

• V.D.S workshops, which were held 

during the day and evening, involving 

groups of residents discussing what 

they liked and disliked about specific 

"character areas" within the village, and 

how these areas could be improved. 

These events were very successful, with 

over 100 residents attending the 

evening session. Many participants 

commented that they had understood 

the purpose of the event, felt that it 

have been useful and worthwhile, and 

appreciated the opportunity to discuss 

their views about their village and how 

it should evolve; 

• A "Questionnaire Survey" was also 

made available for those unable to 

attend the workshops; 

• And Ballisodare Community Council 

was given an opportunity to comment 

of the draft version of the report before 

it was formally submitted to Sligo 

County Council; 

• All of the Key Issue report, workshop 

and questionnaire comments received 

were catalogued, analysed and directly 

used to determine the design guidelines 

featured in this V.D.S, and appropriate 

quotes of residents’ comments are 

shown throughout this document in 

quotation marks and italics. 

2

1 

Section One : INTRODUCTION 

1.1 What is a Village Design 

Statement? 

The village of Ballisodare has a 

distinctive and diverse character that is 

highly valued by its local residents – the 

product of a continuous process of change 

over many years. As the village continues 

to evolve, this process of change needs to 

be positively managed so that the unique 

qualities that contribute to the village’s 

distinct identity can be protected and 

enhanced. 

A "Village Design Statement" (or V.D.S 

for short) is a good way to help all those 

involved with planning the future 

development of Ballisodare to understand 

the village’s distinctive character and what 

makes it such a special place in which to 

live. The V.D.S describes the character of 

the village and provides broad design 

guidelines which address the qualities 

which local residents consider worthy of 

retention or improvement - drawing 

particular attention to features such as: 

• buildings and materials 

• street and plot patterns 

• road and footpath design 

• open spaces and landscape features 

• street furniture 

• important views and vistas 

1.2 Why is this V.D.S needed? 

The "Development Plan for the County 

of Sligo (1999-2004)" has identified 

Ballisodare as one of ten villages with 

potential capacity to accommodate new 

development, due to its proximity to the 

main town of Sligo. 

Although most local residents 

accepted this decision, some have voiced 

concerns about the quality of recent 

modern developments within the village, 

which have used suburban density 

standards, monotonous road and building 

design, and inappropriate materials - 

which they considered had failed to reflect 

the "traditional" character of the village. 

Local residents also suggested that 

even small-scale insensitively designed or 

located development (including alterations 

to homes, gardens, open spaces, paths, 

walls and hedges) can have a negative 

cumulative effect on the character of the 

village and its landscape setting. 

Further design guidance is therefore 

needed to ensure that any new 

development within the village is based 

upon a considered understanding of the 

village’s unique character. New 

development should be designed and 

located in such a way that sympathetically 

reflects and respects the qualities which 

local residents value within Ballisodare. 

1.3 Who is this V.D.S for? 

In order to achieve this objective, this 

V.D.S provides important information and 

recommendations that should be carefully 

considered by anyone intending to 

undertake development within the village. 

It is a valuable resource for individual 

householders and businesses, builders, 

developers, architects and statutory 

bodies. As every design solution will 

involve a compromise between competing 

ideas, the approach recommended with 

this V.D.S is how can the best design be 

achieved within the bounds of meeting 

required standards, to the benefit of all 

involved? 

1.4 How will this V.D.S work? 

This V.D.S is not a masterplan of readymade 

prescriptive design solutions, and its 

recommendations should not be viewed as 

a barrier to modern design. Rather, the 

document highlights the unique qualities 

of architectural, historical, archeological, 

ecological or geological importance that 

contributes to the village’s distinctive 

character, and provides broad design 

guidelines that reflect the views of local 

residents in Ballisodare. 

These recommendations should be 

viewed as a stimulus for encouraging any 

new development to respect and 

compliment , rather than compete with, 

the valued character features that define 

the area in which it will be located. This 

will require careful consideration of how 

key elements (such as building design and 

materials, street and plot arrangements, 

road and footpath design, street furniture, 

open spaces and landscape features, and 

important views) inter-relate at different 

levels of scale, and how they contribute to 

the wider context of the character of the 

village as a whole. 

1.5 How has the V.D.S been produced? 

This V.D.S has been produced in 

partnership with Sligo County Council and 

The Heritage Council with the co-operation 

of the residents of Ballisodare, through 

an extensive community consultation 

programme. A variety of consultation 

techniques were used to enable a wide 

mix of residents to participate in the 

process, and the high response rate 

indicated a high degree of interest in these 

exercises. This is the first time that the 

V.D.S approach has been used in Ireland 

following several European and UK 

examples. It is an effective method which 

enables local communities to be actively 

involved with the creation of design 

guidance for preserving and enhancing the 

distinctive qualities they value within their 

village and its wider landscape setting. 

3

2 

Section Two : VILLAGE PROFILE 

2.1 Location & Profile: 

The village of Ballisodare lies 5 miles 

south-west from Sligo. It is located around 

a major crossroads where two main roads 

(the old N4 Sligo-to-Dublin route and the 

N59 route connecting Sligo to Ballina) 

meet at an important bridge river crossing 

point. The bridge and the connecting Main 

Road occupy a high ridge point where the 

meandering Ballisodare River begins to fall 

through a series of stepped waterfalls 

down into Ballisodare Bay to the north. 

To the south, the Sligo-to-Dublin road 

runs parallel to the river valley towards the 

neighbouring village of Collooney, with 

the Ox mountains to the west and the 

Union Woods to the east, with some 

ribbon development along its axis. A 

bypass has recently been constructed to 

the east of the village and runs parallel to 

a single-track railway line – both of which 

act as physical barriers marking the 

eastern extent of the village. Further to the 

west, the village extends along the axis of 

the N59 as far as Corhowagh Church and 

hall, before dispersing into numerous 

scattered dwellings "pepper-potted" 

throughout the surrounding countryside. 

Ballisodare is typical of small, 

traditional, rural villages found in Co Sligo, 

and is intimately immersed within its 

countryside setting. The village is slightly 

smaller and secluded in comparison to 

neighbouring Collooney, but is still an 

important hub of activity, with a number of 

small shops, essential services and 

recreational facilities for local residents 

within the village and the surrounding 

dwellings. 

2.2 Demographic Trends & 

Developments: 

As a result of its attractive rural 

character and landscape setting, combined 

with its strategic proximity to Sligo, the 

village of Ballisodare has experienced 

significant growth in recent years. The 

total population increased from 1,227 in 

1991 to 1,304 in 1996 – an increase of 6% 

in just five years (1996 Census, in Meehan, 

2000; pg.6). Since 1996, the population 

has almost doubled in size and is expected 

to increase further reflecting the growing 

popularity of Ballisodare as a commuter 

village, particularly since the construction 

of the new bypass. 

This popularity has been recognised 

within the "Development Plan for the 

County of Sligo (1999-2004)", which has 

identified Ballisodare as one of ten villages 

near Sligo with potential capacity to 

accommodate new development. 

Although most local residents accept this 

decision, there is concern that existing 

essential service provision (such as the 

existing sewerage treatment plant, 

cemeteries and recreational facilities for 

children and young people) would need to 

be substantially upgraded and expanded 

to accommodate any proposed new 

development within the village. 

2.3 Shape of the Village: 

Any planned expansion of Ballisodare 

should be based upon careful 

consideration of the existing shape of the 

village and its historical growth patterns. 

The older parts of the village are 

organically clustered around the river and 

the main bridge crossing point. However, 

recent ribbon development along the axis 

of the old N4 and N59 routes has distorted 

this clustered character, stretching the 

village into a triangular shape away from 

the historical village core. The village now 

covers a mixed area of river valley, 

floodplain and hillside development, 

which extends around the Ox mountain 

slopes to the west and south, with 

development bleeding away into 

irregularly "pepper-potted" dwellings 

dispersed along rural lanes in the 

surrounding countryside. Local residents 

are concerned that any new development 

should not exacerbate the existing "urban 

sprawl" problems being experienced on 

the village’s rural fringe, and the derelict 

Avena Mills complex (a legacy of the 

village’s former industrial heritage) and 

fish farm are both prime "brownfield" sites 

which could be sensitively redeveloped to 

accommodate new development. 

4

2 

Section Two : VILLAGE PROFILE 

2.4 History & Evolution of the Village: 

The village of Ballisodare has a long 

history, and is reputed to have its origins in 

a monastery founded by St. Fechin in the 

mid-7th century, who also constructed a 

bridge across the river. However, it was not 

until the development of the milling and 

fishing industries in the eighteenth century 

that the village of Ballisodare was 

established as an important commercial 

trading centre in County Sligo. The first 

independently owned mills were 

established in 1833-1845, but came into 

the single ownership of the Pollexfens in 

1883. 

Over the next few years, William 

Pollexfen modernised the Avena Mills 

complex and a new railway line (Colooneyto-Eniskillen) 

was constructed in 1875, 

with Ballisodare as one of its principle 

stations. The rapid expansion of the mills 

was accompanied by the establishment of 

other important industries, including a tanyard, 

a silver and lead mine and a brewery, 

and Ireland’s first artificial fish farm was 

constructed in Ballisodare in 1857 by E.J 

Cooper. This in turn encouraged the 

construction of kilns, stores, offices, gas 

works, millers’ cottages and workmens’ 

dwellings, and Avena House (the main 

residence of William Pollexfen). W.B. 

Yeats (Pollexfen’s grandson) often stayed 

at Avena House during his youth. It has 

been suggested that his poem "Down by 

Salley Gardens" was inspired by the view 

across the Ballisodare River to small 

thatched cottages with salley (willow) 

gardens. 

All of these industries have declined 

over the last fifty years with the railway 

eventually closing in 1957, and the Avena 

Mills complex in 1989, although some 

light industrial estates and a quarry have 

appeared on the village’s rural fringe. 

Despite this decline, a number of 

important historic buildings and remnants 

of Ballisodare’s archeological and 

industrial heritage still remain within and 

around the village. 

“Down by the Salley Gardens, 

my love and I did meet; 

She passed the Salley Gardens 

with little snow white feet; 

She bid me take love easy as 

the leaves grew on the tree, 

But I being young and foolish 

with her would not agree. 

In a field by the river my love 

and I did stand, 

And on my keening shoulder 

she laid her snow white hand; 

She bid me take love easy as 

the grass grows on the weir, 

But I was young and foolish 

and now am full of tears.” 

(An extract from “Down By Salley 

Gardens by W.B Yeats). 

1837 1936 

“The village of Ballysadere, 

which comprises about 45 houses, 

is a place of some little business 

and has a penny post. The falls on 

the river afford favourable sites 

and a never-failing supply of water 

for mills. There is a large corn mill, 

belonging to Mr Sim worked by 

two wheels of 36 horse power 

employing 25 persons and another 

on a large scale with the most 

approved machinery, was built by 

Mr Culbertson in 1835……..there 

are also some smaller corn mills 

and a large bleach mill and green. 

Vessels of about 100 tonnes 

burden come up the channel for 

the exportation of corn and meal” 

(An extract from Lewis’ 

Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 

1837). 

2002 

5

3 

Section Three : LANDSCAPE SETTING 

3.1 Broad Landscape Setting: 

Although the underlying geology of 

Ballisodare is typical of County Sligo (that 

is - carboniferous limestone, namurian 

shales and sandstone), the irregular terrain 

around the village has a distinctive yet 

diverse character. 

There are lowland areas of broad, 

meandering river valley and open 

countryside, mixed with tightly packed 

rounded small hills (called drumlins). There 

are also woodland areas, pockets of scrub 

trees (including pine and spruce) and 

vegetation (such as hawthorn bushes, 

grassland and wet rush pasture), 

hedgerows, stonewalls, small lakes and 

bog patches. This contrasts with the 

rugged relief of the Ox mountain range, 

the dramatic stepped waterfalls of the 

Ballisodare River, and the unique salt 

marshes found in the Ballisodare Bay river 

estuary, a candidate Special Area of 

Conservation. (cSAC). 

Some open spaces extend right into 

the heart of the village (such as the river 

and its riverbank and floodplain 

meadows), providing important areas for 

informal recreation and reinforcing the 

village’s intimate relationship with its 

wider landscape setting. 

All of these areas of open space and 

landscape features are highly valued by 

local residents, who are keen that they 

should be protected and enhanced, 

particularly as tourism assets. 

Furthermore, they suggested that existing 

rights of way should be retained and 

enhanced, and new rights of way 

established wherever possible, to provide 

improved access to areas such as the river, 

Bay and mountains, for informal 

recreational purposes. There are also a 

number of important archeological 

features around the village, which 

residents wish to have retained. 

Local residents also raised concerns 

about the industrial activity at the local 

quarry, as well as the existing sewerage 

system (which requires upgrading), the 

derelict fish farm and Avena Mills complex. 

Suggestions were made that these 

facilities are not only unattractive and 

visually obtrusive, but may be having a 

detrimental impact upon the delicate 

ecology of Ballisodare River and Bay. They 

highlighted the need for a new sewerage 

treatment plant (which would not 

adversely affect the Bay), for the derelict 

fish farm and Avena Mills complex to be 

sensitively redeveloped, and for the 

existing quarry activities to be reviewed 

regarding how its potential impact could 

be minimised. 

3.2 Views & Vistas of the Broad 

Landscape Setting: 

The areas of open space and 

spectacular landscape features provide 

attractive views which are valued by local 

residents, and appreciated by visitors 

attracted to the area by its natural beauty. 

For example, the older parts of the 

village are clustered within the river valley, 

and the use of appropriate materials, 

building density levels and street lighting 

enable the buildings to attractively nestle 

into the surrounding countryside. 

Occasional gaps between buildings 

provide important glimpses of landmark 

features within the wider landscape 

The dramatic Ox Mountain range is 

an important landscape character 

feature, and provides an attractive 

backcloth to views along the 

High Street 

6

3 

Section Three : LANDSCAPE SETTING 

setting, which reinforce the village’s rural 

character. 

In contrast, some recent developments 

have been constructed on high, exposed 

hill slopes along the village fringe. The 

layout of some of these estates donot 

always compliment the natural contours of 

the slope, and can be visually obtrusive 

because of the use of inappropriate 

density levels, materials and street lighting 

and insufficient screening features (such as 

trees and shrubs). 

Workshop Comments: 

“The River and Bay are lovely 

assets to the village, however, 

a treatment plant is needed as 

the smell from the river is dire 

especially in the summer”. 


“Lovely views across the Bay – 

one of Ballisodare’s greatest 

assets” 

The River is an attractive natural and 

historically important feature running 

through the heart of the village. To the 

south, the meandering River is flanked 

by mature trees and expanses of open 

river floodplain. It runs northwards 

under the current bridge, before falling 

dramatically down the stepped 

waterfalls into a narrower river valley 

and out into Ballisodare Bay. On the 

riverbanks near the waterfalls are the 

historical remnants of former 

ecclesiastical and industrial buildings, 

and the river is still used for 

recreational activities. 

Ballisodare Bay is an attractive area 

which supports a number of important 

flora and fauna species (including a 

unique salt marsh and an important 

salmon resource). However, local 

residents have raised concerns that the 

existing sewerage system is pumping 

raw sewerage into the Bay, and that 

the nearby Quarry and derelict fish 

farm are also adversely affecting the 

ecology of the Bay. 


“I like the River - it is the 

character of the town”; “This 

area is the heart of 

Ballisodare”; “The Falls are a 

great visual and leisure asset” 

The lower mountain and surrounding 

hill slopes around the village are mostly 

used for low-intensity agricultural 

grazing of animals, and are 

characterised by gently rolling 

landscape with hedgerows, stone 

walls, small woodland pockets of scrub 

trees and planting, and occasional 

ribbon development 

7

3 

Section Four : VILLAGE STRUCTURE 

4.1 Village Structure: 

As Ballisodare has expanded over the 

years, this has created a diverse village 

structure in terms of different street 

patterns, the arrangement of buildings 

along these routes, and the areas of open 

space between the buildings. This in turn 

has created distinctive views within 

different character areas of the village, 

which contribute to the overall diverse 

character of Ballisodare. 

4.2 Street Pattern: 

The street pattern within Ballisodare still 

reflects the historical pattern of growth within 

the village, and now consists of a network of 

main, secondary and local routes. The Main 

routes within the village are the old N4 (Sligoto-Dublin 

route) and the N59 (Sligo-to-Ballina 

route) that run through the heart of the 

village. Secondary roads lead off from these 

main routes into enclosed residential 

developments, with a dense network of local 

lanes and public rights of way connecting all 

of these routes together (see following page). 

The older parts of the village owe 

much of their distinctive character and 

charm to the traditional, informal and 

meandering street pattern of the historical 

Modern rigid road layout 

village, which was designed to 

accommodate the horse and cart rather 

than modern vehicles. The need to 

accommodate modern road standards 

within these older areas has resulted in 

parts of the main and secondary routes 

being unable to support consistent 

footpaths on both sides of the road. Where 

footpaths are provided, these tend to be 

fragmented strips either on one side of the 

carriageway or the other, with varying 

quality and type of paving materials and 

street lighting. 

Within the recent developments along 

the village edges, the application of 

modern road standards has created good 

quality road surfaces and footpaths. 

However, the rigid layout of these cul-desacs 

generally fails to reflect the character of 

the older parts of the village. They also do 

not always work with the natural contours 

of the hill slopes, and often lead to deadends 

that do not connect with the local 

lane network. 

Local residents have raised particular 

concerns about road safety, noise and air 

pollution with regard to the inconsistent 

footpaths and street lighting, and the 

general speed and bulk of traffic 

(particularly heavy goods vehicles) along 

routes through the village. There are no 

designated cycle paths within or around 

the village, and footpaths, and other 

public rights of way are not clearly marked 

for potential users. 

Residents also made specific reference 

to areas such as the Main Street, where 

heavy traffic flows and insufficient parking 

provision are contributing to traffic 

congestion problems, and to where heavy 

goods vehicles are travelling through 

residential areas to gain access to the local 

quarry and light industrial estate. In 

addition to the introduction of substantial 

traffic calming measures throughout the 

village, local residents would welcome a 

review of existing and proposed heavy 

traffic generating activities within the 

village, regarding how their potential 

impact could be minimised. 

Traditional informal road layout 

4.3 Important Open Spaces 

There are several areas of open space 

within the village, such as the River and 

meadows, Woodbrook Heights park, the 

Grotto and backland areas near the Main 

Street, and the graveyards around the 

Church of Ireland and ruined Abbey. 

These, together with the wider landscape 

setting, give Ballisodare an intimate, rural 

village character, in what is a relatively 

densely populated area. The majority of 

these open spaces also serve to reinforce 

important views into, out of and within 

Streetscape 2002 

8


local residents as attractive visual assets 

and as important wildlife habitats that 

should be protected and enhanced 

wherever possible. 

4.4 Important Established Planting 

There are many mature trees 

(including sycamore and alder) and 

hedgerows within and around the village, 

The canopies and foliage provide 

important green backdrops, as well as 

acting as important wildlife habitats. Local 

residents value these existing mature 

planting features as important character 

features, and wish them to be retained 

and enhanced. 

Existing streetscape planting is 

mostly limited to low key ornamental 

planting at "The Grotto" and Woodbrook 

Heights park, due to the narrow local 

roads within the village. Any 

redevelopment of the derelict fish farm 

and Avena Mills site will present an 

opportunity to provide more appropriate 

planting in association with improving 

access to these areas. Whilst planting in 

connection with new development is 

welcomed by local residents, they also 

recommend that local plants that are 

appropriate to the village locality should 

be used rather than exotic species or 

inappropriate species (such as quick 

growing coniferous Leylandii hedges.) 

the village, and act as attractive landmark 

features in their own right. These open 

spaces of the village are highly valued by 

9

4 


Local Routes 

A dense network of narrow 

traditional rural lanes and public 

rights of way connect to the main, and 

occasionally the secondary routes 

within the village. Many of these 

lanes and rights of way tend not to 

have footpaths, signage or street 

lighting. These routes are usually lined 

with stone walls, hedgerows, trees 

and scrub planting occasionally 

fragmented by scattered ribbon 

housing development. They give everchanging 

views of the wider 

landscape and the village and they are 

valued as significant character and 

tourism features by local residents. 

Main Routes 

Further out on the rural edge of 

the village, there are less problems 

with traffic congestion as buildings 

tend to be further away from the road, 

with cars parked within front garden 

spaces. The routes therefore tend to be 

defined by hedgerows and stone walls 

rather than building frontages which 

reinforces the rural character of these 

village edges. However, the speed and 

bulk of traffic (particularly heavy goods 

vehicles) travelling along these routes 

is causing concern for local residents. 

Main Routes 

The Main routes running through 

the village are broad, roads, with 

occasional strips of footpath, and 

standard road lighting and signage. 

These routes are in relatively good 

condition, but local residents have 

raised concerns about the speed and 

bulk of traffic (particularly heavy 

goods vehicles) travelling along these 

routes. Substantial traffic calming 

measures need to be introduced to 

improve road safety along these 

routes, together with provision of new 

or improved footpaths, lighting and 

signage where appropriate. 

Secondary Routes 

Within recent residential estate 

development on the village edge, 

modern cul-de-sac and loop roads lead 

off from the Main routes. Such roads 

tend to have a rigid geometry and 

standard road design, as well as more 

comprehensive provision of footpaths 

and are in relatively good condition. 

However, the use of standard road 

design tends to be at the expense of 

local distinctiveness. Some of these 

roads have also modified the natural 

contours of the slope, and tend to lead 

to cul de sacs of residential 

development that do not connect well 

to local routes. Most of the buildings 

within these estates are substantially 

setback from the road to 

accommodate front and side gardens 

for car parking. Areas of part 

landscaped open space also appear to 

have been provided in "left-over" 

spaces after the design of the roads. 

Although the uniform design of all the 

properties provides a degree of 

consistency, the lack of subtle variation 

between the properties creates visual 

monotony, and fails to reflect the 

"character" of the village as a whole. 

Woodbrook Heights Park 

The Woodbrook Heights estate 

occupies a steep hill slope overlooking 

the Ballisodare River and Bay. A small 

park has recently been renovated to 

include a new path, some attractive 

planting and a new stone wall, 

although the presence of a large 

overhead electricity pylon detracts 

from the site’s visual quality. The site 

does provide important views of 

Ballisodare River, and the clustered 

rooflines of the Main Street, 

eastwards to the derelict Avena Mills 

complex and the undulating hills on 

the other side of the River, and 

northwards out across river meadows 

to Ballisodare Bay. 

Secondary Routes 

Within the older parts of the 

village, informal and meandering 

secondary routes lead directly off the 

main routes running through the 

village, and tend to follow the natural 

contours of the slope. These informal 

single or two lane roads are of 

average condition and narrower than 

the main routes, with fragmented 

strips of footpath and limited street 

lighting and signage. These areas 

tend to have a confused character, 

with a contrasting mix of traditional 

residential buildings and recent new 

development. Most of these buildings 

turn their back upon the River, and the 

routes tend to lead to "dead ends" for 

vehicles, but connect to local routes 

for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. 

10

The Abbey 

The ruins of the former Abbey are 

mostly overgrown with ivy and wet 

rush grassland, but still act as an 

attractive landmark feature occupying 

a high ridge-point near the Ballisodare 

River waterfalls – a beautiful, tranquil 

site overlooking the river and bay with 

views back to the Main Street, lying at 

the end of an attractive rural lane. 

Ballisodare Bay, River and 

Floodplain Meadows 

The Ballisodare River runs through 

the heart of the village, but the 

majority of the adjacent developments 

turn their backs on this area. Access to 

the riverbanks, particularly near the 

derelict Avena Mills complex to the 

north and the mobile home storage 

site to the south (both considered to 

be visual "eyesores" in their present 

condition), are restricted. 

Ballisodare Bay itself is an 

important ecological site which 

supports many important flora and 

fauna species, particularly the unique 

salt marshes. The bay, river and 

floodplain meadows also provide 

important views into and out of the 

village, and are attractive visual, 

ecological and recreational assets. 

Main Routes 

Where the main routes run 

through the older parts of the village, 

the width of the road is limited by the 

layout of properties, resulting in 

narrow footpaths. The limited onstreet 

parking provision in these areas 

result in vehicles having to park 

illegally or double-park in the 

carriageway, which aggravates 

existing traffic congestion problems. 


“The Mill …and caravan site 

…are visual eyesores but have 

great potential” 

The Grotto 

"The Grotto" is a small area of 

public open space located at the main 

T-junction where the old N4 road 

crosses the Ballisodare River and 

meets the N59. It is the site of a small 

ecclesiastical shrine dedicated to the 

Virgin Mary, with some attractive 

planting and lighting, partially 

surrounded by a stone wall. The 

shrine occupies a prominent site at the 

head of the major junction, and can be 

viewed from a distance along the 

Main Street. The site acts as a 

landmark, marking one of the main 

entrances into the Main Street. The 

shrine itself is setback from the busy 

road, creating a little area of tranquillity 

– but access is restricted by the lack of 

pedestrian crossing points across the 

busy and somewhat dangerous 

junction, and no seating is currently 

available to entice people across, thus 

the area is not used regularly. 

Main Street 

The Main Street has a distinctive 

formal layout with wide road and 

footpaths, a dense arrangement of 

plots (with narrow frontages, but long 

returns to the rear), and a consistent 

building line of two-storey terraced 

properties which stand at the back of 

the footpath, and which follow the line 

of the road. This creates a strong sense 

of enclosure with a clear definition of 

the public front of buildings, and the 

private or semi-private rear areas. The 

consistent building line is occasionally 

broken, providing attractive glimpses 

of the backdrop of mountains and 

landscape features, and which provide 

access to the network of rural lanes. 

The Main Street appears as a whole 

due to the general consistency of 

building scale, density, design and 

materials, and is neatly framed by the 

detached "Youngs" building to the 

east, and the Grotto public open space 

to the west. 

“No access to the river… river 

and rural walks are needed” 

"I like the Church of Ireland and 

the Old Abbey and graveyards - 

…architecturally 

pleasing…historical assets” 

"I don’t like the Quarry and its 

environmental impact upon the 

village regarding dust and 

blasting, trucks – speed and 

overloading, and the impact on 

road safety and road 

conditions” 

"I dislike the backland areas 

behind the Main Street … 

and derelict buildings – it would 

be nice if these buildings could 

be occupied – if not, just 

brightened up?" 

11

Section Five : STREETSCAPE 

5.1 What is a "Streetscape"?: 

The term "streetscape" refers to the 

look of a particular street, regarding the 

arrangement and design of plots, 

buildings and materials, roads and 

footpaths, street furniture, open spaces 

and planting. Attractive and coherent 

streetscapes happen when all of these 

features reinforce and work with one 

another. 

5.2 Streetscapes Within the Older Parts 

of the Village: 

Within the older parts of the village, 

most of the streets have a strong sense of 

enclosure that is a distinctive "traditional" 

character. This is created by a dense 

arrangement of plots and buildings that 

have a close relationship with the design 

and layout of the road. 

enriching important views along the 

street, and helps to define its distinctive 

"traditional" character. 

Modern design can also play an 

important role within the "traditional" 

streetscape, by contributing to the element 

of variation, so long as it carefully 

complements the common design theme 

of adjacent buildings. Throughout the 

older parts of the village, there are 

examples where this principle has not 

been adhered to, where inappropriate 

building design and modifications visually 

compete and detract from the overall 

coherent character of the street. 

5.3 Streetscapes Within the Newer 

Parts of the Village: 

In contrast with the older parts of the 

village the recent modern development 

along the rural edge of the village, where 

rigid road standards with uniform road 

layout design tends to take precedence 

over all other design considerations - 

generally at the expense of local 

distinctiveness. 

Although developers favour cul-desacs 

because they provide a semi-private 

quiet area for local residents, there tends 

to be only one way into and out of the 

estate. This generally results in congestion 

cycleways linking to the dense network of 

rural lanes. 

Within most of these estates, plots 

tend to be uniformly rectangular in shape 

with detached or semi-detached 

properties, usually substantially set back 

from the pavement to provide space for 

front and side gardens and off-street car 

parking. This reduces the sense of 

enclosure, as there is little integration 

between the road, plots and buildings. The 

road tends to dominate the placing of 

houses, and plots are staggered (rather 

than splayed) along any curves in the road 

in a saw-tooth arrangement. 

The areas are characterised by the use 

of standard housing types and designs 


“I like the stone walls and 

hedgerows – the "natural feel" 

is attractive and these should 

be preserved and enhanced” 

“I like the diversity of old 

buildings in the main village – 

the size and proximity to each 

other…the rooflines - scale 

and bulk of buildings” 

The roof ridge, front wall and any front 

boundary treatments (such as a garden 

wall or pavement) of these buildings all 

run along to the edge of the road. Where 

the road curves around a bend, the plots 

tend to be splayed to ensure the building 

line follows the curve, with buildings 

facing onto the road. 

Most of the buildings share similar 

building style, height, windows shape and 

door proportions. The subtle variations 

between building is important for 

at the bottom of the cul-de-sac where it 

meets a main road, and there are usually 

no dedicated, well-lit footpaths or 

that provides consistency, but can appear 

visually monotonous due to the lack of 

subtle variation. Some estates have 

attempted to use local materials (such as 

stone walls and coloured render), but 

many buildings on the modern estates use 

inappropriate materials and modified 

building designs which fail to reflect the 

traditional, rural local character of the 

village as a whole. The larger modern 

estates also tend to use relatively high 

"suburban" density levels that are 

inappropriate for the rural character of the 

village. Thus, many of the streetscapes 

created within the newer parts of the 

village contrast dramatically with the older 

12

Section Five : STREETSCAPE 

parts of the village, giving rise to a sense 

of fragmentation. 

Whilst many local residents recognise 

the need to embrace modern progressive 

design, they were also keen to encourage 

new development to reflect and respect 

the existing character features within the 

village. The patterns of existing traditional 

forms within the area where new 

development is to be located could be 

used as a stimulus for creative adaptation, 

so that it will fit more appropriately with 

the overall character of the village. Taking 

road safety into account, the overall 

design should not always be led by 

highway regulations, but should focus 

upon achieving the best design within the 

bounds of meeting required standards, to 

the benefit of all involved. 

5.4 Boundary Features: 

Individual plots often have distinctive 

boundary features (such as fencing, 

railings, walls or hedges), which can also 

contribute to the character of the village. 

Within the older parts of the village 

and its wider landscape setting, the basic 

forms of boundary treatment are mortared 

or dry-stone walls and hedgerows. 

Regrettably some of these have been 

removed in the interest of combining plots 

or fields into large units, but many 

examples still remain and are important 

character features valued by the local 

community. 

Stone walls within and around the 

village tend to use local material (or similar 

matching materials in terms of shape, size, 

colour and texture), and are generally laid 

in an uncoursed fashion (that is – laying 

stones of random shape and size in a 

particular order of grain or layer) and often 

capped with vertical "coping" stones. Even 

though several of the older stone walls 

within and around the village are in a poor 

state of repair (with loose or collapsed 

stones, overgrown with grasses and 

moss), these features still significantly 

contribute to the rural character of the 

village, often tracing the line of the rural 

lanes into the wider landscape. 

There are some unfortunate examples 

of recent stone walls within the village, 

where inappropriate materials or building 

techniques have been used. There are also 

a number of visually obtrusive timber and 

metal fences that also do not reflect the 

character of the village. However, at 

Woodbrook Heights park, a new mortared 

stone wall has recently been constructed 

using appropriate materials and 

construction techniques – it is a welcome 

additional character feature, which not 

only helps to reinforce the intimate 

relationship of the village and its wider 

landscape setting, but also to link the 

fragmented Woodbrook Heights housing 

estate into the predominant character of 

the village as a whole. 

5.5 Street Furniture: 

Street furniture refers to such items as 

litter bins, benches, bollards, railings, 

lighting, signposts, CCTV, electricity 

substations and wiring, cycle stands, post 

boxes and any other utility items found 

within the public realm of streets and 

roads. Such items are generally owned and 

managed by different bodies, which can 

give rise to a lack of co-ordination, and 

their placement can be over-influenced by 

meeting road standards rather than 

pedestrian requirements. 

This can give rise to a cluttered 

appearance, with too many items placed 

in the wrong location or not enough where 

they are needed, and often the design of 

these items fail to reflect the distinctive 

character of the village. A more 

sophisticated approach can be achieved 

through a co-ordinated design, 

installation, management and 

maintenance strategy for the provision and 

replacement of street furniture – ensuring 

a consistency in design, style and colour. 

Local residents put forward several 

suggestions, including recommendations 

for overhead electricity wiring to be 

accommodated underground wherever 

and whenever possible, and for the 

provision of more co-ordinated cast iron 

"Victoriana" or heritage-style street 

furniture to reflect the historical and rural 

character of the village. They also 

recommended that the visual appearance 

of the bridge could be improved by 

replacing the galvanised railings with 

more appropriate cast-iron railings and 

lighting, and that signage within and 

around the village could be rationalised, 

with greater provision indicating 

important public rights of way particularly 

to the Ballisodare River and Bay. 

13

Section Six : BUILDINGS 

6.1 Buildings: 

The village has a number of 

architectural and historically important 

buildings that have played an important 

role in the evolution of the village’s 

history, and are therefore important 

"character" features valued by the local 

community that should be sensitively 

preserved and enhanced. The majority of 

the buildings within the village fall into the 

category of "ordinary vernacular" in that 

they are generally simple in form and 

design. 

There are several areas within the 

village, whilst having variations in 

building types, dimensions; arrangements 

and details have a distinctive overall 

character. These differing areas often 

would have been built at separate times 

when fashions, designs and materials 

changed and evolved. 

To avoid monotonous repetition which 

can undermine local distinctiveness, 

variation (within defined limits) of the 

design of buildings and their key elements 

can contribute towards creating a visually 

rich and attractive "streetscape", so long as 

such variation is based upon careful 

consideration of a common design "theme" 

or "resemblance", and respects the strict 

relationship between construction "type" 

and the proportions of elements and 

materials used. 

Designers should be encouraged to 

utilise this logic within their creative 

interpretations for new development, and 

as far as possible, should carry forward the 

predominant characteristics of "traditional" 

buildings within the area where the new 

development is to be located. 

6.2. Building types & Wall construction 

materials 

Within the village, there are several 

different types of traditional building 

construction, usually involving either stone 

or brick and block masonry techniques. 

Typical of buildings within the historical 

village core (Main Street), this terraced 

building occupies the full width of its 

plot. It is set directly at the back of the 

pavement and shares gable walls on 

the side boundaries. Usually 

rectangular in plan, the building is 

orientated parallel with the front plot 

boundary, two storeys high with a 

simple gable or double-pitched roof, 

and a roof ridge parallel to the long 

axis. It has a two-room plan (to rooms 

wide) with a central stair. As can be 

seen from the position of the chimneys, 

there are fireplaces on the gable walls. 

The front façade is symmetrical with a 

central door flanked by windows and 

the ground and first floor windows are 

vertically aligned along the central axis. 

The ground floor window openings are 

taller than the first floor windows. The 

building walls are constructed from 

local stone, and usually covered with 

painted render and are usually only 

adorned with simple quoins and lintels, 

which are usually painted a different 

colour to highlight these features. 

6.3 Stone Construction: 

Within the historical parts of the 

village (such as Main Street), stone 

building construction predominates, many 

of these buildings do have external 

renders but there are several types of 

building stones found within the village, 

although local limestone predominates 

The stone is built in layers or courses 

and these often vary in depth. The quoins 

(large square stones at the corners of the 

buildings) are generally larger than the 

rubble making up the wall, and the 

coursing runs through to the joints 

between the quoins. The principal 

difference between the methods of laying 

is generally due to the size of the different 

stones 

6.4 Brick and Blockwork Construction: 

The use of brick is mostly confined to 

the recently constructed housing estates 

surrounding the village and does not really 

reflect the predominant characteristic of 

the village. Whilst the majority of these 

new buildings have some sort of render 

(either coloured, white or pebble-dashed) 

to conceal the use of brick and concrete 

block, other buildings have been 

specifically designed with brick facades as 

a prominent feature. The use of 

contrasting brick detail within a building 

facade is not common in the village, and 

should not be encouraged. 

14

Section Six : BUILDINGS 

Insensitive re-cladding of a shop facade 

using inappropriate imitation stone 

clay tile and slate roofs are appropriate. 

There are examples of thatched 

buildings that as a character feature 

should be preserved and maintained, but 

it may not be appropriate to encourage 

this in new development. It is however, 

imperative that repairs and replacements 

to these surviving roofs should respect the 

local thatching traditions in style and 

materials. 

The most common verge detail for 

roofs within the village is a plain edge to 

the slate and render or walling stonecopped 

gable parapets are normally only 

used in stone construction. 

some variation including horizontally 

orientated. 

As a general rule, window and door 

openings must have visible means of 

support for the materials above. The most 

6.5 External Render: 

This is the main feature of many of the 

characteristic buildings in the village. It is 

the finish of many buildings and provides 

a water resisting surface and creates a 

consistent finish to the buildings. It comes 

in a variety of types and styles from wetdash 

renders to lined smooth renders 

which imitates a stone ashlar building. 

Traditionally these renders would be lime 

based, that would have been painted with 

lime washes. Today these are often 

replaced with harder cement based 

renders and modern synthetic paint 

systems. These are both physically harder 

and can look sharp compared to the softer 

and more subtle colours available with 

lime washes. 

These external walling finishes act as a 

background for one of the most 

characteristic qualities of the village 

providing a palette for a variety of colours 

and finishes from gloss to matt finishes 

which enliven and provide variety. 

6.6 Roof Features & Construction 

Materials: 

Roof construction styles and materials 

also have a direct association to the 

predominant building construction type – 

for example, with brick and blockwork 

rendered-clay tile and slate roofs are 

appropriate; with stone - thatch, stone tile, 

A rare surviving thatched roof 

The majority of older buildings within 

the village have chimneys, and are an 

important character feature which 

significantly contribute towards visually 

interesting streetscapes. Such chimneys 

are usually located at the main ridge of the 

roof, and very frequently they are found on 

gable ends, in which case they are often 

flush with an internal breast. Most are 

rectangular in plan, orientated at right 

angle to the ridge, and usually capped 

with clay chimney pots 

6.7 Windows & Door Openings: 

In most buildings in the village, the 

door openings are vertically aligned, 

which is particularly important on 

buildings with small facades. 

On smaller houses and cottages, first 

floor windows are often set just below the 

eaves line, with only the top-plate or 

several courses of stone or brick over the 

openings. Most windows openings are 

also vertically orientated, but there are 

common traditional solutions found in the 

village are stone lintels. In some cases, 

flat arches or lintels are rendered or 

stuccoed to look like stone. 

6.8 Cills 

A range of cills are found in the 

village, and the preferred forms relate to 

the walling material, the important 

characteristic is usually the profile and 

thickness of the front edge or face. 

6.9 Window Frames & Door Leafs: 

The window frame should be set back 

from the face of the building to give a 

shadow line. The presence and design of 

glazing bars should be suited to the 

opening size, the position of the window 

in the building, and the overall form of the 

house. If side opening windows are 

proposed, they should normally be 

traditional or modern flush closing as 

opposed to "storm proof" designs that 

have projecting external flanges. The type 

of door proposed should suit the building 

type and the position of the door within 

the building. Simple vertical plank doors 

are generally suited to smaller "cottage" 

type buildings and moulded panel doors 

to larger houses. Glazing on doors should 

follow the same pattern as the windows. 

15

Section Seven : VILLAGE DESIGN GUIDELINES 

Important Buildings & Features 

Design Guidelines 

Energy Efficiency 


New Development 


It is important to preserve specific 

features that have been identified as 

of value due to their historical, 

archeological, ecological and 

geological importance, (such as Holy 

Trinity Church) which are valued by 

the local community as unique 

character features and must be 

protected. 

Property owners should be 

encouraged to retain and maintain 

existing detail work (such as 

decorated chimney stacks, ornate 

window frames and bargeboards, 

scalloped roof or hanging tiles, crafted 

thatch features, stonework, date 

plaques and estate owners’ insignias) 

as they are important "character" 

features. 

Provision should be made in any new 

development to use any existing but 

redundant buildings that contribute 

significantly to the village character 

(such as the Avena Mill buildings) – 

such buildings and features should be 

sympathetically restored back into 

active use wherever possible. If 

necessary, traces of the positions or 

arrangement of existing features (if 

not their substance) should be carried 

forward into new development. 

New development should learn from 

and improve on what has already 

been done - it should take its 

proposed form and scale from the 

existing village structure, and new 

development should innovate by 

reinterpretation – making it look new 

and local. 

Stated as a general principle, the total 

energy used in development should 

be minimised as far as possible, to 

encourage sustainable development 

practices. This should be seen not just 

in terms of actual construction but in 

terms of the total cost of 

development, from material extraction 

or production and transport through 

construction to maintenance and 

running costs. 

The general principle should be that 

development should be adapted to 

the site, not the site adapted to the 

development. 

New development should respond to 

the location of the site as far as 

possible – for example, existing levels, 

watercourses etc. Development 

should occur on flatter rather than 

steeper ground, outside of flood 

plains to avoid necessity of sites being 

filled and lifted solely in order to 

achieve adequate drainage falls, or to 

alter existing contour lines. 

In addition, stocks of important 

resources (such as Ballisodare Bay) 

should be protected from loss and 

degradation and ideally, should be 

increased. Again, this must be seen 

not just in terms of actual construction 

but in terms of the total cost of the 

development, from material extraction 

or production and transport through 

constriction to maintenance and 

running costs. 

Where possible, new development 

should be encouraged to utilise energy 

efficient building materials such as 

double glazing which is in ‘character’. 

A principal aim for new development 

design should be a balance between 

innovation and local character, 

utilising the predominant forms within 

the village as a starting point for 

reference - designs utilising the 

pattern of local forms as a stimulus for 

creativity should be encouraged. 

All new buildings should be in 

harmony with existing old buildings in 

terms of architectural style, and should 

reflect the style and materials of the 

older "traditional" and "rural" character 

of buildings within the village. 

Careful consideration should be paid to 

the design of components (such as 

doors, windows, the height, pitch, and 

ridges of roofs), which should have 

regard to those already present in the 

vicinity of the site. This is particularly 

important with regard to redevelopment 

and alterations to existing buildings, 

which should strictly reflect the original 

building’s characteristics in proportions 

of windows to walls, and in the design 

of the roof. 

Hipped roofs are unlikely to be 

acceptable except on detached 

buildings and even then restricted to a 

limited number – half-hipped roofs 

should not be encouraged. 

New development must recognise and 

be sympathetic to the visual cohesion 

of the existing village, and help to 

renew the specific architectural 

traditions of the area. 

Detailing should be simple, reflecting 

what is appropriate for the "rural" 

character of the village – where a theme 

16


of detailing is needed to encourage 

consistency and variation within a series 

of buildings, an examination of the 

existing details found in the area where 

the new development is to take place 

should be encouraged. 

New developments should also seek 

to complement this principle by 

referring to: 

(i) local village structure patterns in 

layout; 

(ii) avoid substantial repetition of one 

house type; 

(iii) respect the local characteristics 

and context of the particular site; 

(iv) respond to typical setting and 

garden forms; 

(iv) refer to local buildings and the 

variety of proportions; 

(v) refer to local distinctive details and 

materials and accurately match 

these to the chosen building form 

and adjacent buildings; 

Any new agricultural buildings (or 

conversion of existing agricultural 

buildings noted for their architectural 

or historical value) should be carefully 

sited, and designed to reduce their 

apparent mass so as to minimise 

impact upon the wider landscape. 

Wherever possible, "traditional" stonewalled 

barns should be protected and 

renovated for new use (such as 

residential or for small-scale light 

industrial or business uses), as they 

are important "character" features 

valued by the local community - 

during conversion, the original 

construction features should be 

retained and restored within the 

proposed design as far as possible. 

Materials Design Guidelines 

When designing, the type of materials 

to be used in new development or 

improvements to existing properties 

should: 

(i) fit in with the prevailing character 

of the village, and be designed to 

reflect and respect nearby colours, 

textures, materials, shapes, styles 

and proportions; 

(ii) take account of other materials 

used in the immediate vicinity; 

(iii) utilise materials for extensions 

which match those of the existing 

property; 

(iv) ensure that replacement windows 

and doors respect the age and 

character of the existing building - 

in particular, the use of UPVC is 

generally considered to be 

inappropriate for use in a 

designated historically or 

architecturally important building; 

(v) encourage the re-use of 

appropriate building materials 

from buildings which have been 

unavoidably demolished. 

Extreme caution should be exercised 

in combining different external 

materials in the same building – in 

general there should be one principal 

external material. 

New development designs should 

avoid monotonous repetition by 

inclusion of subtle variation, and 

should use materials, which 

compliment the established variants 

of design, silhouette, scale, density, 

materials and colour within the 

village. 

Planning Applications for New 

Development – Good Practice 

Recommendations: 

Developers should be encouraged to 

submit perspective isometric (or threedimensional) 

illustrations of their 

proposed development and 

photographs of the site and adjacent 

properties so that it can be assessed in 

the context of the streetscape. 

It is essential that proposals for new 

development should include a 

schedule of the net developable area, 

the total number of houses proposed, 

the floor area and storey number per 

house and the total floor area of the 

building so that the proposed density 

levels can be assessed in the context 

of the existing density levels of the 

village. 

Furthermore, before building work 

begins, an archeological survey 

should be carried out. 

Level information should be submitted 

as early as possible in the application 

process – for example: 

• existing and proposed level 

information must be submitted 

together on the same plan; 

• the submitted information should 

clearly show the relative height of 

finished floor levels and the levels of 

the nearest adjacent carriageway or 

pavements; 

• on large sites, proposed contour 

information should be included in 

addition to spot levels and the 

development should be encouraged 

not to distort existing contour lines 

but work sympathetically with them 

as far as possible. 

17


New development should also be 

carefully considered with regard to 

potential increased traffic generation, 

and any potential impacts upon 

employment prospects and general 

contribution to the village’s character 

and welfare. 

Where new development proposals 

present exceptions to these 

recommended guidelines, such 

proposals should be encouraged to 

provide a statement that sets out the 

considerations taken into account, 

demonstrating why the exceptions are 

justified and the logic behind them. 

Proposed applications for new 

shopfront developments should also 

include information showing the 

entire building both as existing and 

proposed. Supporting information 

showing examples of other shops in 

the area of the proposal can also be 

helpful. 

Shopfronts Signage & Illumination 

of Buildings Design Guidelines: 

The over-riding principle for the 

design of shopfronts and the design 

and placement of advertisements and 

signs should be restraint. The aim 

should be to create an environment in 

which the buildings and activities 

themselves are the principle attraction 

and visual interest, not the 

advertisements and signs. Shopfronts, 

signs and advertisements should 

therefore work within the overall form 

and structure of a building and should 

be subservient to it. 

A shopfront should suit the type and 

style of the building as a whole. If for 

example, the building is symmetrical, 

the design of the shopfront should 

maintain the overall symmetry. If the 

building has a distinctive "style", some 

of the characteristic features that 

define that style should be carried 

forward into the design such as the 

proportion of openings, patterns of 

glazing or moulding profiles. 

If a "blind" is proposed, it should be 

retractable, ideally the type that is 

integral with the shopfront and retracts 

into the fascia. Fixed blinds of the 

curved plastic type should not be 

encouraged. In all cases the shopfront 

(and any accompanying advertisements 

and signage) should remain 

subservient to the building and appear 

as a component part of it. 

Signs should also not clutter or 

dominate the façade of a building nor, 

by extension, the entire street 

frontage. The size, design, colour, 

material and illumination of signs 

should be subdued and not harsh or 

aggressive. They should generally be 

positioned well below the first floor 

window level, and should endeavour 

to work within the structure of the 

shopfront or building. 

Hanging signs should be restricted to 

one per shop or business, and 

brackets for hanging signs can be 

fixed at a level between the ground 

and first floor windows. The size of 

hanging signs should be 

proportionate to the building. It 

should not dominate the façade or 

obscure the architectural details of the 

adjacent buildings. Lettering and 

symbols should be proportionate to 

the size of the sign, and painted or 

low relief boards should be used as 

opposed to "box" signs. In the interest 

of contributing to the liveliness and 

quality of the street scene, 

pictorial/iconic or "object" signs are 

encouraged, as are well-designed 

decorative brackets as long as they 

are in keeping with the "character" of 

the village. 

External illumination of buildings and 

signs should normally be resisted, but 

careful floodlighting of key buildings 

of particular architectural quality may 

be permitted and in some cases 

encouraged. Limited lighting of 

hanging signs and fascias may be 

allowed in the case of business open 

in the evening such as restaurants, 

pubs and clubs – but not in addition 

to floodlighting. In such cases, the 

principle purpose of the external 

lighting should be to make signs 

legible at night. The lighting should 

not be a feature in itself, and the 

fittings should be as small and 

unobtrusive as possible. No signs may 

be internally illuminated with the 

exception of signs indicating medical 

supplies. 

18

Section Eight : RESIDENTS WISH LIST 

8.1 Wish List: 

During the production of this Village 

Design Statement local residents put 

forward many good suggestions for 

improving the village - but addressed 

issues that are beyond the scope of this 

document. So that these ideas are not 

put aside or dismissed, the following 

wish list is a compilation of the 

significant ideas which local residents 

would like to see happen within the 

village of Ballisodare: 

• More retailing and recreational 

facility provision – including a chemist, a 

bank, shopping, a community hall, a 

heritage centre and facilities for children 

and young people, particularly within 

residential estates; 

• Upgrading of existing utility 

service provision – including a new 

sewerage treatment plant, a new 

cemetery and restoring the derelict 

Railway Station buildings as a new rapid 

transit connection to Sligo; 

• Sensitive redevelopment of the 

mobile caravan site and the derelict fish 

farm and Avena Mills complex - 

providing better access to the river 

(including a riverside walk and a 

possible second footbridge) and 

respecting existing mature trees; 

• If possible, the existing Avena 

Mills building should be sensitively 

restored as an important historic and 

architectural landmark building, but any 

other new development on this site (and 

the fish farm site) should respect the 

density and style of adjacent buildings in 

the older parts of the village; 

• A tourism strategy which seeks to 

sensitively protect, promote and 

enhance existing features of 

architectural, historical, archeological, 

ecological or geological importance, 

including the historical W.B Yeats 

connection; 

• Areas of important open space, 

and important views into, out of and 

within the village, to be protected and 

enhanced wherever possible – and for 

visually obtrusive development to be 

screened with appropriate new planting; 

• A holistic review of any existing 

and proposed heavy traffic generating 

activities (such as at the Quarry) with 

regard to how the potential impact upon 

local residents and the village 

environment can be minimised; 

• All roads and footpaths to be 

improved whenever possible, with 

extended provision of appropriate 

pavements (including provision for 

pushchair and wheelchair users) and 

street lighting. 

Manogue Architects & Soltys Brewster Consulting 

wish to thank all those who took part in the meetings and workshops for their assistance, 

enthusiasm, contributions and advice during the production of this Village Design Statement. 

April 2002 

19

The County Sligo Heritage Plan 2002-2006, seeks to 

promote best practice inheritage conservation and 

management. One of the key actions identified to achieve 

this objective is to pilot and promote Village Design 

Statements in County Sligo. 

This Village Design Statement pilot, undertaken in 

partnership with the community of Ballisodare, was 

initiated by Sligo County Council in association with the 

Heritage Council. Sligo County Council, the Heritage 

Council and the County Sligo Heritage Forum wishes to 

acknowledge the support of the community of Ballisodare, 

County Sligo. 

Sligo County Council and the Heritage Council would also 

like to acknowledge the role of Manogue Architects and 

Soltys Brewster Consultants in working with the 

community of Ballisodare towards the realisation 

of the pilot.

to download the Ballisodare Village Design Statement

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