‘Missed opportunity’ to promote Meath landmark after appearance on The Traitors
A Kells councillor has criticised ongoing delays in delivering a Public Realm Plan for Lloyd, saying that the project has “lost momentum” and that the council missed a major opportunity to promote the landmark’s appearance in the hit TV series The Traitors.
Fine Gael councillor Sarah Reilly tabled a motion calling for Kells Municipal District members to receive an updated presentation on the Public Realm Plan for Lloyd.
In its response, Meath County Council said the planner assigned to the project is currently on extended leave and that no replacement has been appointed. The Planning Department said it would “aim to update members as early as practicable in the New Year.”
Speaking at the December meeting, Cllr Reilly said: “The response provided to my question today is not sufficient, not right, and not proper. No major public project should grind to a halt because one staff member is unavailable.”
“Our processes should be stronger than that, and progress should not fall on the shoulders of a single individual.”
She said the delay was a “missed opportunity” given Lloyd’s prominent appearances in the final challenge of The Traitors, an “immensely popular and internationally celebrated series.”
“I watched the show every week, waiting to see whether Lloyd would appear in that week’s challenge. And I was genuinely proud when it featured as part of the final challenge,” she said.
“Yet The Traitors has been and gone — and we have done nothing to promote Lloyd’s connection to it.”
She added that while councillors often criticise national bodies such as the OPW for failing to showcase local heritage, “in this instance the failure to market and showcase Lloyd rests squarely with us.”
Cllr Reilly said councillors were shown the draft Lloyd Amenity Plan in May and were told to expect a further presentation in September, ahead of a public display process.
“None of that has happened,” she said, adding she was “increasingly concerned about the delay and the clear lack of momentum behind this project.”
At their May meeting, a number of issues with the draft plan were identified. Most notably, the stated vision, Cllr Reilly said, lacked “ambition and failed to inspire.”
“The vision presented was: The Commons of Lloyd is a place for everyone. A place for enjoying the landscape, for commemorating the past, respecting archaeology, walking with friends, visiting with family and for taking in the view.”
“While the plan did propose expanded play facilities, that ambition was not reflected in the vision. The concept of a community facility was also underrepresented. Cllr Drew called for playing pitches, which I supported. Cllr Gallagher asked for the exploration of toilet facilities, which I also supported. And I asked that the possibility of a designated dog-walking area be examined.”
“I now want — and expect — all of these issues and suggestions to be addressed in the next presentation, which I am formally requesting for January,” she said.
She added that if progress on the Lloyd Plan had “slowed to a walk,” then the Kells Public Realm Plan was “still standing at the starting line — full of potential, simply waiting for the signal to move.”
“I fully understand that there is significant focus at present on the variation of the County Development Plan and I apologise if I sound like the Grinch before Christmas but my polite calls for progress are not working, and we cannot continue to let opportunities, including the momentum from The Traitors, slip through our fingers.”