Urban and Village Renewal
The Urban and Village Renewal Programme formed part of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and was supported by the European Union under the Regional Operational Programmes for the Border, Midland and West (BMW) and South East (SE) Regions.
These Regional Operational Programmes were designed to complement the three national Operational Programmes by focussing primarily on local investment instruments which, in addition to their benefits locally, helped to ensure that assistance under the Inter-Regional Operations Programmes delivered maximum impact.
The Regional Operational Programmes were broken down into four Sub Programmes:
- Local Infrastructure
- Local Enterprise Development
- Agriculture and Rural Development and
- Social Inclusion
The Urban and Village Renewal Measure was included in the Local Infrastructure Sub Programme of the Regional Operational Programmes 2000 – 2006.
Funding for this measure was provided by the European Regional Development Fund with co-funding being provided by the Exchequer and local sources.
The aim of the Urban and Village Renewal Programme was to provide financial support for a range of interventions to upgrade cities, towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work, encourage social and economic development and facilitate and support the development of tourism and tourism related activity.
At local level, each local authority prepared a Strategic Plan, to priortise urban and village areas in which there are specific needs and deficiencies. Among the works that are covered by this measure are, undergrounding of wirescapes, renewal of street paving and street furniture and soft landscaping.
In preparing the Strategic Plan, Wicklow County Council presented a report to the Strategic Policy Committee. The report sets out the settlements and works that were proposed.
The towns and villages chosen for the programme were:
- Roundwood
- Coolboy
- Enniskerry
- Kilcoole
- Carnew
- Stratford
- Kiltegan
- Hollywood
- Newtownmountkenny
- Ballinaclash
- Glenealy
- Wicklow Town
Photographs of Gleanealy
Photographs of Ballinaclash
This programme was agreed by the Strategic Policy Committee and subsequently approved by the full Members of the Council. In addition to the interaction with the Strategic Policy Committee and the Elected Members of Wicklow County Council, the Planning Section
liaised with the local community groups in each town and village.
Between 2002 and 2006, the above schemes were undertaken, with agreement being received from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to complete the final schemes in 2007.
|