COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

MOTION NO. 5

MOTION: Councillor B. Bonner

CATHAOIRLEACH'S BUSINESS

That this Committee calls on the Manager to pay the 20,000 euro grant from the Villages Initiative fund for Clondalkin for restoration of buildings to the Round Tower Group so that the first phase of the work on the Council's comprehensive plan for the development at the Round Tower can commence. 

REPORT:

Following on from the launch of the Villages Initiative earlier this year a multi-disciplinary team has been established and has completed initial survey work.  The commitment to complete surveys and SWOT analysis has also been completed and the findings complied as a report for each village. In Clondalkin finance was agreed for tree planting and hanging baskets and this week has been completed.

At the recent meeting of the Organisation Procedure and Finance Committee on 19th September 2013, under Headed Item 5, the County Manager delivered a presentation to the Members on how it is intended to revise and reformat the Villages Initiative to become a 5-year programme commencing 2014.  The Villages Initiative to date centred on the use of direct grant-aid to local groups to carry out works and events on an ad hoc basis. The new programme will define landscape, public realm, signage / branding, and tourist trail strategies for each village and direct existing Council works programmes to engage with and deliver these strategies.  Larger individual projects augmenting unique selling points of each village will be developed and funding streams established.  A matching fund to encourage private-sector actions particularly in relation to shop-fronts and painting projects will be established in conjunction with a community support fund to support local groups in realising areas of the plans not undertaken by the Council, festivals, events, etc. The development of plans and strategies as above will take place in the coming months and will be the subject of consultation with local groups and Elected Members.

In relation to the Round Tower / Millview Project, the County Manager has met on site with the combined Heritage Group and undertaken to pursue the Monastery Garden and the refurbishment of Millview / Tower Road houses as a major tourism project.

The Heritage Group has agreed to investigate the possibility of forming a Trust as a governance measure in the first instance.  The Council has produced a detailed conservation document for submission to the Office of Public Works in relation to overall project methodology.  The preparation of a brief and business case for discussion with Fáilte Ireland as possible funder for large-scale projects is underway and will be presented to the stakeholders in November.  Proposals will be formulated before the end of the year as agreed in discussions to advance funding and implementation of the project.