COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
MOTION NO. 9
MOTION: Councillor E. O'Brien
Noting the imminent recommencing of the Part 8 Scheme from Lucan Village and the planned Grand Canal "looped" greenway through Lucan village, that this Area Committee asks the Chief Executive to consider options to increase tourism in Lucan village and particularly noting the number of culinary establishments in the area to consider marketing Lucan village as a food destination.
REPORT:
The South Dublin County Tourism Strategy launched in 2015 envisaged the development of a Liffey Valley Cluster. The proposal included a number of options for projects that would interpret and make accessible heritage on the River Liffey and develop a tourism experience to:
- Connect South Dublin to Dublin City
- Develop a market awareness of the beauty of this part of Dublin
- Provide an enjoyable experience to tourists and locals
- Support local villages such as Lucan and Palmerstown as well as villages in other counties
The strategy recommended that consideration should be given to developing and promoting the concept of the Liffey Blueway. In 2017, South Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council commissioned Venturei Network to carry out a feasibility assessment for the development of a Liffey Blueway. In the report the consultants advised following completion of this study that 'this section of the River Liffey is not especially suited to Blueway Branding and that investment in and sustaining a Blue Way in the study area will not result in significant uplift in inbound tourism and that it is recommended that Blueway Branding is not pursued at this time'. However the report identifies a number of project options within the study area which have a good balance between investment cost and potential return and which were detailed at the Area Committee in April 2018 . The Dublin Canal Green Way Loop, an interagency project of regional importance led by Waterways Ireland will have a significant potential impact on the development of the Liffey Valley Custer as envisaged in the South Dublin County Tourism Strategy. The feasbility study for the Grand Canal Royal Canal loop is expected to be delivered by consultants by the end of April. In addition, following the decision of An Bord Pleanala to uphold the SDCC screening of the project it is anticipated that the Part 8 proposal for the extension of the Grand Canal greenway will be brought to the May Council meeting.
Accordingly in conjuntion with the above projects and the Lucan Initiative Scheme, the Council will look at the tourism potential in Lucan Village and examine options available for further enhancing Lucan village as a tourist destination, partcularly in the culinary sector.If there is a group of operators in the village who wish to meet and discuss proposals with us we are open to facilitating such a meeting.