COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 12, 2015

QUESTION NO. 20

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive to provide a report on all available options for funding for Tidy Towns Heritage plans for areas and detail how and when these should be applied for. Could the Chief Executive also detail what funding is available for street furniture (Places to rest and meet) as this is an area where many areas scored poorly in Tidy Towns?

REPLY:

The Villages Initiative includes funding for street furniture including planters, bollards and public seating. A tender framework for procurement of a consistent range of street furniture for use in all villages / towns in the County will issue in mid January 2015. Care must be taken in the design and positioning of public seating to optimise the capacity of residents to meet and rest while avoiding problems encountered over the years with noise and anti-social behaviour. The Villages Initiative team will aid and liaise with Tidy Towns groups to ensure best outcomes in these and other related issues.

There is a budget provision of €60k in 2015 for Tidy Towns which will be administered by Community Services Department. In addition there is a new Community Initiative Fund provision of €170k for which community groups can bid. This fund is to provide an opportunity for access to funding for significant community enhancement or neighbourhood projects not covered from other sources including the current community grants. This will be considered by the Social and Community SPC and formally agreed on by the Council in terms of detail.