The Tipperary Town Taskforce met for the first time yesterday.
The Taskforce is made up of 18 individual representatives of various community and voluntary groups as well as the local chamber of commerce, local resource centres, the local authority and its agencies, alongside a representative from the office of Minister Damien English.
It is anticipated that the Taskforce will work in tandem with informed groups that will focus on specific issues that may prove vital to the improvement of the town’s fortunes.
One such group that has been identified will deal with the town’s heritage and how that heritage can be preserved and used for the benefit of the town to improve its attractiveness as a tourism destination.
It was also confirmed that Alison Harvey of the Heritage Council will launch the Tipperary Town Health Check early next year.
That event is expected to take place towards the middle of January. The Health Check will inform the Taskforce of the types of challenges being faced by Tipperary Town and the extent of those challenges.
For instance, yesterday’s meeting was told that the level of commercial vacancies in Tipperary town centre is well above the national average and needs immediate attention.