Unique Programme To Rejuvenate 9 Clare Towns

May 1, 2012 - PRLog -- Clare Local Development Company (CLDC), in association with Clare County Council, is encouraging local community groups and individuals to register their interest in the ‘Clare Villages And Towns 2012: Your Place, Your Space’ initiative by attending a seminar in Quin Community Hall on Saturday 12th May from 9.30am to 1pm.

Following the event, local groups will be invited to apply to be one of nine towns selected to receive additional expert guidance and mentoring from Cunnane Stratton Reynolds (CSR) Landscape Architects & Town Planning consultants.

CSR will assist the groups to critically examine their town or village, identify opportunities to improve and enhance their urban and landscape environments, and draw up three-year action plans to do so.  

“The purpose of this unique scheme is to stimulate and encourage County Clare communities to further enhance the physical appearance of their town, while at the same time complement existing initiatives such as Pride of Place, TidyTowns and Clare in Bloom,” explained Gerard Kennedy, Enterprise and Rural Development Manager, CLDC.  

Mr. Kennedy continued: “The programme will assist community groups to improve their local environment through the development of a strategic 3-year plan for their area. A productive working relationship will be fostered between community groups, CSR, CLDC and Clare County Council.”

“The programme will be delivered over a twelve-month period. Through the promotion of and participation in the Tidy Towns initiative, we will be able to assist local groups in nine county towns identify suitable projects to enhance the local environment, as well as their physical and infrastructural development”, he added. Ennis is excluded under the scheme as the town is not eligible for LEADER rural funding,

According to Keith Mitchell, Associate Director, Cunnane Stratton Reynolds: The development of a Tidy Towns Plan may also include projects suitable for funding under the LEADER Rural Development Program 2007-13, including Village Renewal & Development, Conservation & Upgrading of Rural Heritage, and Encouragement of Tourism Activities.

The Clare Village’s Seminar will be addressed by officials from Cunnane Stratton Reynolds, TidyTowns Adjudicator Dr. Christy Boylan and a representative from Failte Ireland. The event takes place in Quin Community Hall on Saturday 12th May from 9.30am to 1pm.

Further information on the Clare Villages And Towns 2012: Your Place, Your Space scheme is available from CSR on (093) 60854 or claretidytowns@csrlandplan.ie.

-ENDS-

INTERVIEWEES:
-   Keith Mitchell, Associate Director, Cunnane Stratton Reynolds, 087-9068673 (not for publication)
-   Gerard Kennedy, Enterprise and Rural Development Manager, CLDC, 086-8034685