Ferbane is one of many towns in Ireland which has suffered from job losses and the knock-on effects of population decline and poor self-image.
However, a new plan, which has the backing of Offaly planners, councillors and businesses, has been put in place to rejuvenate the town and attract new investment and population.
Published by the Tipperary Institute, the five-year plan highlights some of the negative aspects of the town, but envisages it as a more pleasant place to live, work and do business.
Following the loss of about 100 jobs after the closure of the ESB power plant, there has been a realisation that Ferbane has been too dependent on the ESB and Bord na Móna for employment.
However, as well as the need for renewed and diverse investment, the plan commissioned by the Ferbane Town Planning Group, formed especially for this task, also highlights the need for investment in road infrastructure, transport, education, the environment and social capital.
"It's very simple," says Mr Pat O'Callaghan, chairman of the town planning group and a local businessman.
"We have identified the problem with Ferbane as one of stagnation and a declining population over the last five years. The main sources of our employment, the power station and Bord na Móna, have been phased out and these would have been the driver of the west Offaly economy for the last 30 or 40 years.
"We would have enjoyed boom times, even compared to the rest of Ireland, in the early 90s, but now that trend is reversed," he adds. "Our main employment base, maybe 80 per cent, was power generation."
Ferbane had a population of just 1,270 in 1996, a decline of more than 6 per cent on the 1991 figure.
Offaly County Council calculated a population of 1,419 people last year, increasing to 1,491 by 2006. The equivalent of 30 families have left the area since 1986, the plan estimates.
Four out of five residents have lived in the area for 16 years or more, but few have moved into the area.
Retaining the existing population and attracting newcomers to the area can only be achieved by implementing a range of measures, including building affordable housing, upgrading recreational facilities and improving access to educational and employment opportunities, according to the plan. It sets a target population of 2,000 over the long term and there is already adequate land zoned for housing. Ferbane has to be more "pro-active" in its own revival, Mr O'Callaghan says.
The participation of the community as a whole in this renewal is vital, the committee believes. "The last thing we want is another report which gathers dust," Mr O'Callaghan says.
An implementation committee has now been set up and responsibilities are being delegated to help get the development plan up and running.
Ms Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy, a Fine Gael councillor and native of the town, praises the Tipperary Institute for its work on the project and also the staff of Offaly County Council. The council provided some funding towards the development plan, as did Shannon Development.
Ms Corcoran-Kennedy emphasises the importance of getting the backing of everyone in the town. "You have to get the community on board or nothing is going to happen." Her council colleague, Mr Éamon Dooley of Fianna Fáil, believes there had been a culture of "sitting back" in Ferbane because "everything was done for you" in terms of employment opportunities etc. "Then suddenly the plug is pulled," he says.
"We want Ferbane to be a nice place to live, with proper primary and secondary schools and proper transport." A survey will shortly be distributed to people in the town to establish basic transport needs.
Some improvements are already afoot - a new community school is being built and the town will also benefit from a new regional water scheme and sewage scheme. Negotiations are also under way with the ESB and Bord na Móna on the provision of an enterprise initiative in the town.