COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

QUESTION NO.6

QUESTION: Councillor E. Ó Broin

To ask the Manager for a report on the Villages Initiative in the Clondalkin LEA including details of the total expenditure in 2013 and a list of the individual projects funded in that year with associated costs and an estimation of the total expenditure for 2014 and the projects/initiatives expected to be funded or an outline of the process by which these projects/initiatives will be selected?

REPLY:

The Village Initiative was launched in early 2013. The works were to be carried out by local community groups including Tidy Towns Committees based on a fixed series of grants from South Dublin County Council. In 2013 Clondalkin Tidy Towns was paid a grant of €2,903.00.  A further €24,000.00 was expended on tree-planting in various locations across the village.  De-cluttering, removal of telephone boxes and unused signage was carried out by Council staff directly.  The current Village Initiatives was reformatted by the County Mayor in late 2013.  A large financial provision was included in the budget approved for 2014 to include for –

• Showcase project for each village centring on unique selling-points.  In Clondalkin this will feature the Round Tower Visitor Centre at Millview Cottages and a public monastic-style garden.  The cost will be in the region of €1.5m.  Part 8 Consultation on the project will commence in early April 2014.
• Way-finding strategy and signage tenders have been successfully received and work on this will commence in early April 2014. 
• Public realm strategy / landscaping strategy is currently under preparation and will be consulted with local groups. 
• Shopfront improvement grand-scheme is already launched and will operate throughout 2014. (€100,000,00 available across the county in 2014) 

Further schemes will be consulted locally and agreed before implementation.