Clare County Council has begun the process of working with communities in Kilrush, Lisdoonvarna and Tulla to establish Town Teams, and will similarly work with the community of Clarecastle in the coming weeks.
The Local Authority is inviting Expressions of Interest from a diverse range of stakeholders representing the business, retail, sporting, community, voluntary, youth and education sectors in each of the three towns. Interested individuals will work in conjunction with the local authority to set up a representative group for the town, which will participate in thematic working groups, assist in preparing grant applications and support fundraising activities.
Joe Cooney, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council said, “Clare County Council is looking forward to engaging with representatives from local community and business groups to form the new Town Teams. It is our ambition to ensure each Town Team features a wide cross section representing all of the community.”
Joan Tarmey, Town Regeneration Officer for Clare County Council stated, “Established by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Town Centre First initiative, Town Teams will bring residents, business-people, community representatives and other stakeholders together to make their area a better place to live, work, visit and invest in. Once established, the Town Teams in Tulla and Lisdoonvarna will engage on a Town Centre Health Check as part of a research project with Queen’s University in Belfast. While in Kilrush, the new Town Team will engage on the development of a Town Centre First Plan for the town.”
Individuals interested in joining the Kilrush, Lisdoonvarna or Tulla Town Teams and contributing to the future development of their communities are invited to submit their Expression of Interest through https://yoursay.clarecoco.ie on or before Monday, July 1st, 2024. Further information is available from Clare County Council’s Town Centre First team at 065 6846398 / towncentrefirst@clarecoco.ie
The Town Centre First programme is supported by the Government of Ireland through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Town Centre First Heritage Revival (THRIVE) Scheme and the Historic Towns Initiative.