TRADERS in Blackpool gathered on Friday evening with a vision for the future of the area, including improved flood relief measures and the delivery of a greenway.

Blackpool Traders Group (BTG) presented a plan to improve connectivity in the area, deliver a greenway linking Blackpool Village to Blarney, and find solutions to ongoing flooding issues locally, at a public meeting held at Glen Rovers Hurling Club on Friday evening.

There was an impressive turnout of traders and local residents at the meeting, including representation from local politicians.

Blackpool Traders Group comprises of chairman Mick Moriarty, who owns the Baldy Barber in Blackpool, secretary Tadhg O’Leary of O’Shea’s Pharmacy and PRO Jer Buckley who each presented their solutions on future-proofing Blackpool and protecting the village’s businesses.

Traders want to see the flood defences addressed and said they will work with the Office of Public Works and Bus Connects to make their vision a reality.

PRO Jer Buckley described Blackpool as “unique” and said it could provide “huge opportunities” but also acknowledged the “huge challenge” the village is presented with in terms of flooding over the years.

“If we can get over that problem it presents huge opportunities,” he said.

Blackpool has a long history of flooding, and more recently has been subject to pluvial flooding which occurs when rainfall is so intense that it exceeds the capacity of surface water drainage.

The OPW designed a major state-of-the-art Flood Scheme costing €20 million to address the issues, including a proposed 350m culvert over the river, which has been paused as the culvert has been at the centre of an unresolved legal objection by SOBO.

Blackpool Traders Group wants to see the delivery of a greenway, which would run for a 350m stretch through Blackpool village and cross the River Bride over the proposed culvert but this cannot be advanced until the culvert issue is resolved.

Speaking at the meeting, Tadhg O’Leary highlighted the need for amenities in the locality for new and existing residents and said that the greenway may be developed into “the first orbital greenway of any city in Ireland”.

Mr O’Leary said representatives from the Blackpool Traders Group met with Hugh Creegan, deputy chief executive of the National Transport Authority (NTA), last month and toured the proposed Blackpool to Blarney route.

The NTA’s conclusion was that the group’s proposal for a Blackpool to Blarney Greenway does have merit and requires further investigation.