IRELAND-SCOTLAND STRENGTHENING THE COLLABORATION ON TOWN CENTRES - Exchange with Scotland's Towns Partnership - Heritage Council
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Exchange with Scotland’s Towns Partnership
STRENGTHENING THE
IRELAND-SCOTLAND
COLLABORATION
ON TOWN CENTRES
Venue - Louth County Museum — Dundalk Town Centre
Monday 2nd December 2019: 9.30am-12.30pm
Workshop Feedback from Attendees
February 2020
1
The Heritage Council and the Dundalk CTCHC Project
Partners would like to extend their sincere thanks to
Phil Prentice, Chief Officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership
for a wonderfully-engaging presentation at the workshop
and for the lively Q&A session.
A list of attendees is provided at Appendix A.
The enthusiasm from the session with Phil Prentice continued into the groupwork, which followed,
and the feedback from the groupwork is summarised below.
2
THE FIRST SESSION RAISED THE OVERWHELMING
NEED FOR THE FOLLOWING IN IRELAND:
Strong political leadership on New innovative structures to
towns to support Towns and plan and manage town centre
Town Centre Regeneration regeneration
Robust data systems, Collaboration between all
along with in-depth research, players and sectors to ensure
on town centres change
3
FEEDBACK FROM THE ONE WORD GAME/ICEBREAKER
WHAT ONE WORD WOULD YOUR GROUP USE WHEN
YOU THINK OF TOWN CENTRES IN IRELAND?
Potential Challenged
(as places)
Challenging
Transition (to get stakeholders
involved)
4
GROUP WORK WAS UNDERTAKEN
FOCUSING ON THE FOLLOWING FOUR THEMES:
1. Future Collaboration with 4. Private Sector investment —
Scotland - see announcement role of BIDs, Chambers and
of Bilateral Review. growing partnership with EC,
e.g. EC DG GROW, European
2. Enhancing Partnership, Investment Bank (EIB).
Collaboration and Public
Participation on the future
management of Town Centres
in Ireland.
3. Towards a ‘Town Centres
First’ Policy in Ireland? —
Issues, Minister,
Departments, Agencies,
Private Sector, etc.
5
A SUMMARY OF THE GROUPWORK DISCUSSIONS, WHICH TOOK PLACE:
1. FUTURE COLLABORATION WITH SCOTLAND
• opportunity
Common Celtic Heritage should be celebrated –
for sharing and exchange in relation
• Climate Change mitigation measures – e.g.
Scotland has completed maritime surveys,
to digital atlases for towns (co-operation islands and coastal risks – particularly to
opportunities?) and also exemplar towns – what settlements in coastal areas. Potential to share
• Shared
towns are doing it well – share this information key findings
• and
between Ireland and Scotland
social issues – town sizes are similar, i.e.
Examine population distribution in both countries very small towns v’s UK’s towns – rural housing
• Friday Agreement (1998)?
landuse strategy/modelling, etc. policy to revitalise small towns – can we share
• Understanding
and work on this collaboratively?
Potential for East-West mechanisms in the Good
• opportunity to build (joint) links to Europe
Need to replicate the STP online resource –
Scottish Places - town by town
Both countries are on the periphery of Europe –
• relationships
comparisons – models and datasets – these need
to be set up in Ireland asap.
Architectural commonality – building
– especially youth/schools and
older generation – both countries have retained a
• within
strong sense of community
Raise awareness of cultural heritage assets
historic town centres as part of the
regeneration and sustainable development
• utilised
opportunity
Carbon embodiment in old buildings – how is this
in Scotland to target revitalisation in town
centres?
6
2. ENHANCING PARTNERSHIP, COLLABORATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
ON THE FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF TOWN CENTRES IN IRELAND
• more
Partnership – towns and town centres are becoming
important in the national political discourse.
• Need systemic change and innovative systems
thinking/design – how do we encourage this? who is
• sectors
People are starting to get agitated – Who is the political leading?
leader with regard to town centre regeneration/
• commitment
We need to build public trust across and between all
• enable
revitalisation? This is not obvious at the moment
– public, private and civic
Cross party group needed asap – with a manifesto and
• strategy
Robust and creative National Guidelines needed to
• methods
to town centre regeneration
regeneration of town centres
Big picture thinking needed in relation to national
– not through one Department or one landuse – Starting point – needs to be with young people – multi
– educate all ages about the role of town
•
our towns need creative policy and action to encourage
• this
better-functioning structures and processes centres in housing, climate change, social inclusion, etc.
Research and data hugely important – who is driving All diverse stakeholders should be brought together in
in Ireland? Establish digital atlas programme for our order to work together – need to be facilitators and
• shake
national champions to support new methods and
• consultation
towns/town centres
programmes, etc.
Bridging organisations – need an agile disruptor to
• principles
things up and to get systemic change Young people are the future – participation is not
– policy makers need to understand the
Check yourself before making any decision – have the difference – technology helps – also ‘collaboration’ from
• and
of the sequential test been applied to any the outset
proposal – we need a Town Centre First policy like
• (housing/planning,
Scotland! Use and adopt best practice methods
processes
All Departments must work together in collaboration to assist more
business/enterprise, heritage, positive public
tourism, etc.) – this is not obvious – how do stakeholders participation
engage with Departments on this important issue? and
Where and what is the interface for collaboration with engagement.
government departments? (UNECE Aarhus Convention)
73. TOWARDS A ‘TOWN CENTRES FIRST’ POLICY IN IRELAND – ISSUES,
MINISTER, DEPARTMENTS, AGENCIES, PRIVATE SECTOR, ETC
• –Rethinking strategy – retail history/structural change
town centres need to evolve and move on – need
• Red tape vs accountability – too much inertia – need
to get things moving and changing! Need to address
• Towns
support this transition and not get stuck rural housing policy – is it impacting on town
• Expansion
centres?
are too important – must be led by the
• Agencies
Department of the Taoiseach of the Living City Initiative needed to
Regional Growth Centres at the very least – all towns
• Reduced/exempted
– are there too many involved in Ireland or
• Do
need support asap
not enough – do we need a disruptor?
local authority development
• Need
town centres need Simplified Planning Zones
• before
contributions should be introduced in town centre
(SPZ) - see Scotland
for a central funding gateway to be established
Context needs to be examined and understood
- a ‘one-stop-shop’ for town centre funding in
• Need
any action – each town is different – not a
•
Ireland
case of one size fits all
to acknowledge the importance of creative and
What is the future population – has this been
cultural spaces and artists, through funding support.
targeted at town centres? Need SHDs to be town
• Development
centre focused
Core Strategy of development plans – Section 28
1st
Plan Guidelines should have a role in
• Liveable centres -need to be adaptable
driving town centre regeneration
• and
Need a Phil – enabler, independent force, has facts
political enforcement due to the relationship TOWN
with the Scottish Minister CENTRES
84. PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT – ROLE OF BIDS, CHAMBERS AND GROWING
PARTNERSHIP WITH EC, E.G. EC DG GROW, EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK (EIB)
• Partnership
ROI needs an equivalent body like Scotland’s Towns • cities
UK Multiples are contracting their footprint in towns and
• centres
(STP) - Debenhams, M&S, - town centres need to move to
a multi-functional platform - more than shopping and
Getting private investment motivated to input into town
• buildings
eating etc- need to be about residential and
• BID
- how? culture/leisure, etc.
Lack of knowledge by local authorities of ownership of
• vacant
is in Department of Housing, Planning and Local
(result of fallout of economic downturn) Government but no-one knows it- stronger links with
Non-uniformity of local authorities charging 50% rates on existing BID companies needed – Dept needs to support
BID companies through a national strategy and strategic
•
buildings - some local authorities apply - others
• sector
don't? investment programme, etc.
Too many ‘silo’ plans, visions, strategies from the public Repurposing of vacant units asap – Do Nothing impacts on
- often in contradiction with each other – stronger image and perception of the town centre - there are good
• One plan, one place using real time data, etc.
working examples of repurposing empty units but no
•
leadership needed to sort this out
• companies - currently four BIDs in the ROI (legislation in
coordinated approach from the local authorities.
Town centre retail footprint has changed and many units
•
Development of Business Improvement Districts (BID) are no longer fit for purpose
place since 2006) versus Northern Ireland with eight BID Importance of positive partnership - easy to say - harder to
do! – CTCHC Programme in Ireland is a very good start but
•
companies (legislation introduced in 2013). Scotland has 40
• local
BID companies! needs more support
Blockages to further development of BID companies – Grow multi layered links
authority is a critical partner, Chamber of Commerce, with EC DG Grow, EU
• BID
etc. Commission and
European
UK Government provides £60,000 to the development of a
• cultural
Investment
– no equivalent in ROI Bank (EIB) - get
Community, town centre living, recreational, social and help from the
– all important. EC for Ireland’s
towns
9APPENDIX A: LIST OF ATTENDEES
Leo Bollins David Curtin Ronan Gilroy Ivor McElveen Emer O'Callaghan
Oireachtas Joint IE Domain Registry Glenina Partnership Heritage Council Louth County
Committee on Rural CLG (promoters of Co- Board Member Council
& Community
Development Mark Dearey Housing) Colette Moss Phil Prentice
Dundalk BID Louth County Scotland's Towns
Tara Buckley Pat Grimes Council Partnership (STP)
RGDATA Deborah Dignam Sligo Purple Flag
Department of Oonagh McCutcheon Marguerite Quinn
Martin Colreavy Richard Guiney IE Domain Registry Louth County
Enterprise, CLG
Department of Business & Dublin Town (BID) Council
Housing, Planning & Martin McElligott
Innovation John Shanahan
Local Government Ali Harvey Dundalk BID
Carmel Fox Drogheda BID
Trevor Connolly Heritage Council
Tipperary Town Gail McGibbon
Monaghan Town Brian Walsh
Taskforce Sammy Leslie Sligo BID
Team Louth County
Castle Leslie, Brendan McSherry Museum
Dr Philip Crowe Michael Gaynor
Monaghan Louth County
UCD and Space Dundalk Chamber of Council Stephen Ward
Engagers Commerce Nikki Matthews Sligo County Council
Nicci Nolan
Maire Cullinan Sarah Gearty Department of Eastern and Midland Nathalie Weadick
Monaghan County Royal Irish Academy Culture, Heritage & Regional Assembly Irish Architectural
Council (RIA) the Gaeltacht (EMRA) Foundation (IAF)
Workshop Organiser/Facilitator - Contact Details:
Ali Harvey, Co-ordinator, CTCHC Programme E. aharvey@heritagecouncil.ie T. 087 419 3458
10Finally, there has been excellent feedback from the workshop attendees – many thanks to everyone involved for their time, lively
input and support. The Heritage Council and Partners intend to hold more workshops with Scotland’s Towns Partnership in 2020,
through the ongoing activities of the Collaborative Town Centre Health Check (CTCHC) Training Programme.
www.heritagecouncil.ie/projects/town-centre-health-check-training-programme 11You can also read
