About Town Centre First
A Vision for our Towns
We have a sense of pride in our towns and villages. Each town is unique, and they remain the lifeblood of local economies, supporting business and generating employment opportunities. Towns and villages provide important administrative, social, community and recreational functions. They support clusters of local services, have a significant share of homes and jobs, and act as transport hubs. With Town Centre First, Local Authorities through strong engagement with their communities can support the development of tailored local development strategies for Ireland’s Towns.
Local Delivery
Town Centre First lays the foundation for each town to develop, at a local level, their own plan-led path forward. This will be expressed through a tailored TCF plan which is underpinned by a clear diagnosis of local strengths and challenges. This TCF Plan will be driven by the local community and businesses as part of a Town Team who will be supported by Town Regeneration Officers and technical expertise within each Local Authority.
The Process
The TCF approach is centred on:
Collaboration and communication – a collaborative process involving all relevant local stakeholders, represented by a collaborative Town Team, with good communication in respect of issues raised and the agreed direction
Understanding the place – analysis and appraisal underpinned by a town audit/ data gathering -process
Defining the place – shaping the plan around high-level objectives that are subsequently expressed through a series of actions
Enabling the place– identifying a clear path to delivery of the Plan, cognisant that this will require actions of varying scale to be delivered by different partners
Funding
A targeted investment programme will support towns in delivering the interventions identified in their bespoke Town Centre First Plans. Schemes include existing [Urban Regeneration and Development Fund; Rural Regeneration and Development Fund; Town & Village Renewal Scheme] and new [Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund; European Regional Development Fund] funding programmes which will prioritise the delivery of this Town Centre First policy.
A National Framework
-
A national network of Town Regeneration Officers who bring a co-ordinated approach to delivery across the country and act as a forum for sharing best practice.
-
Better data will enhance our understanding of Ireland’s towns and build an evidence base for the ongoing evolution of Town Centre First
-
A scaled-up Town Audit Programme for towns will build and expand upon the success of the Heritage Council’s Collaborative Town Centre Health Check model.
-
Development of Capacity building programmes will increase the skills and capabilities of Town Teams and enable them to deliver effectively.
-
The National Town Centre First Office drives the implementation of Town Centre First actions and co-ordinates stakeholder engagement at a national level and across the Local Government Sector.
-
Cross-Government focus and alignment through a National Oversight and Advisory Group that monitors and guides the delivery of Town Centre First.
