An Inter-Departmental Group has been established which will consider the suggested actions in the report on the Town Centre Living initiative which was published in June.
This work will be part of the wider remit of the Group which will also seek to progress the commitment in the Programme for Government to develop a Town Centre First approach to the regeneration of our towns and villages. Town centre living is seen as an integral part of that approach.
The Inter-Departmental Group will be chaired jointly by my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The first meeting of the Group will take place on 11th November .
Participation on the Group has been invited from the:
- Department of Finance,
- Department of Public Expenditure & Reform,
- Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment,
- Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media,
- Department of Environment, Climate & Communications
- Department of Transport, and
- County and City Management Association
It is envisaged that the work of the Inter-Departmental Group will focus on four interrelated strands:
- Governance and structures required at national and local government levels to deliver on a Town Centre First principle.
- The future economic and social purpose of towns and villages to ensure their viability.
- Town Centre Living, with a focus on considering the suggested actions in the report on the Town Centre Living initiative, and
- Co-ordination of investment and resources.
The Inter-Departmental Group will provide recommendations for consideration by Governmentunder each of these strands as they are developed.
One of the key messages which came through from the Town Centre Living report was the value of towns developing cohesive plans for their future development if they are to be attractive places in which to live. In this context, I have secured €2 million extra in Budget 2021 to support up to 50 towns to develop master plans of this nature. Further details of this scheme will be announced in 2021.
