Tag Archives: Town Centre First

JOINED-UP thinking about rural regeneration and tourism development was called for for the West Clare area, when municipal district members met recently.  Councillor Joe Garrihy asked that the new national ‘Town Centre First’ policy might be examined in light of all of the existing local tourism development strategies in order to make sure their objectives are aligned. The Lisdoonvarna man called for a meeting with representatives of Fáilte Ireland, the Council’s tourism team and the management of the Cliffs of Moher to look at how the new policy aligns with documents including the Clare Tourism Strategy and plans for the future growth of the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and coastal tourism.  “I might be tilting at windmills, but I would like to see how the different objectives would be knitted together,” he said. “It’s a little foggy for me and I’m seeking clarity. I see a lot of strategies and there are exponential benefits if these align. However, I …

DERELICTION in Clare towns needs a tougher approach, including the use of compulsory sales orders, according to Deputy Michael McNamara.  The Independent TD told the Dáil that such orders were successful in other countries. “It is done in Scotland and if it is good enough for that country, it might be worth considering in Scariff,” he said. Deputy McNamara was speaking during a special session the the Town Centre First Policy, unveiled last month by the Department of Housing. The document outlines a number of actions to tackle dereliction including the appointment of Town Regeneration Officers, investment, training for town teams, as well as local plans and national oversight.  Deputy McNamara said that he welcomed the plan, but had concerns about omissions, as well as the “political will” of some local authorities to tackle dereliction.  “To discuss what is in the plan, one of the main actions is that a town regeneration officer will be appointed to each local authority,” …