Donegal County Council’s ‘Ballyshannon Historic Towns Initiative Project’ was the winner in the ‘Urban Regeneration and Heritage’ category at this year’s Irish Planning Awards.
The awards gala ceremony took place on 28th September 2023 at Clontarf Castle Hotel.
The Ballyshannon project was a large-scale urban regeneration project focusing on existing individual historic buildings to reverse the effects of neglect and advancing decay in the Ballyshannon town centre.
The Awards acknowledge a diverse range of projects and plans nationally taking place at a local, county and regional level in complex and dynamic environments. The Awards this year recognised innovation and excellence in Irish planning in eight categories.
Speaking at the awards, IPI President Mary Mac Mahon said: “The Irish Planning Awards serve as a testament to the invaluable role of planning in our society. They celebrate our diverse, dynamic, and sustainable projects, showcasing the positive impact of planning on our communities. As President, it’s been my privilege to elevate the profile of planning and to honour the achievements, diversity, and potential within our sector. With entries spanning the island, our winners from Dublin to Donegal exemplify excellence. I extend my gratitude to all entrants, congratulate the winners, and acknowledge our sponsors for making these awards possible.”
This year’s judging panel comprised of Mary Mac Mahon MIPI (Irish Planning Institute President), Charlotte Sheridan MIPI (RIAI President), Henk van der Kamp FIPI (Secretary General of the ECTP-CEU, the umbrella organization for spatial planning institutes in Europe and past president of the IPI), Terry Prendergast MIPI (former board member of An Bord Pleanála) and John O’Hara MIPI (former Dublin City Council Planning Officer).
The Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage are the main sponsor of the awards with additional sponsors Wave Dynamics Acoustic Consultants and Uisce Éireann. The individual categories of Climate Action and Biodiversity and Research and Innovation are sponsored by FuturEnergy Ireland and the Office of the Planning Regulator respectively.
