Minister Damien English has announced the package of measures that are being provided to support the revitalisation of Tipperary town. The Minister has highlighted how the three-year programme will begin with a ‘Collaborative Town Centre Health Check’.
This is a pilot initiative developed by the Heritage Council. It will bring together private, public and civic sectors within the town, who will be asked to agree on a town centre-led approach to the overall programme of development, from a commercial, heritage and tourism basis.
The Minister has also announced that funding is being made available to assist in the recruitment of a full-time project manager who will work on developing agreed actions and funding proposals that would be contained within the finalised health Check.
It is hoped that the recruitment process will commence in the coming months.
The Minster has revealed that Carmel Fox has been chosen as the independent chair for the process.
Ms Fox is a former chief executive of Ballyhoura Development Company and lives in Glenroe, Co Limerick.
She has previously served as a member of Irish Rural Link’s board and of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA), among a number of other appointments. She is currently the director of Ballyhoura Rural Services and of the Action Plan for Rural Development Monitoring Committee.
Ms Fox will meet with Alison Harvey of the Heritage Council early next week to discuss a more detailed timeline for the Tipperary Town Health Check. It is expected that this discussion will inform the timing of the recruitment of a fulltime project manager.
Local TD Michael Lowry has thanked the Taoiseach and Minister English for showing personal interest and for working with him to design this structure which he says, will serve Tipperary well and also be a national blueprint.
