The future development of Gorey’s 300-year-old Market House and the proposed pedestrianisation of the Main Street in the centre of the town may be some years away, but tentative further steps forward have emerged with Wexford County Council serving a Compulsory Purchase Order on lands at the rear of the historic building.

The Market House site has been contentious issue in Gorey and in 2011, Dublin entrepreneur Harry Crosbie proposed an ambition 1,000-seat entertainment venue after Wexford County Council sought public submissions for its future.

Crosbie’s ‘Vicar Street South’ proposal was seen as having the most potential for the town in terms of attracting business and tourism to the town, and The Echo understands that this proposal is still a live prospect for consideration.

The original proposal was understood to be a single storey high ceiling venue situated on the vacant ground at the rear of the Market House and attached by a glass atrium.

Other proposals included a facility to support the performing Arts, a Heritage Centre, and Art Gallery and an Exhibition Centre.

Commenting on future developments at the Market House, Cllr Malcolm Byrne said the lands and building will remain in public ownership and any development on the site would be a long term project and have to be sustainable.

When the matter first came up for discussion, Gorey Chamber of Commerce suggested that the Market House be retained in public ownership and that the Tourist Office be maintained in the building

A copy of the Compulsory Acquisition of Land order is published in this issue of The Echo.

Full story this week in THE GOREY ECHO.