The City and County Development Board.......... South Tipperary CDB

Cllr Brendan Griffin presented urban and political perspectives on the vision for the future. His key points included:

The key difference in approaching the future is the acceptance both by urban authorities and by politicians generally of a partnership and holistic approach to the way business is done. For example, in preparing the Tipperary Town Development Plan in the 2000 and 2001 period, the Urban District Council consulted widely and have been influenced by the socio-economic strategy prepared by Tipperary Integrated Resource Development and its partners, the work of the West Tipperary Enterprise Group, the development plans of adjoining local authorities (Tipperary SR Co Council and Limerick Co Council), national policy statements such as the White Paper on Rural Development, and European and international policy statements such as those on sustainable development.

A key difficulty for both urban authorities and for politicians generally is that we operate in an environment where resources are limited and where we have to make hard choices. Initially the partnership approach was rejected by politicians who felt aggrieved that local development companies could deal with development which had broad public acceptance at a time when the local authorities had to work on very difficult issues such as waste management and traveler accommodation. However, the councilors have responded positively to the entire 'Better Local Government' process and are now fully committed to partnership and holistic approaches aimed at improving South Tipperary and, from an urban perspective, the towns of the county.

A vision for urban areas would include sustainable employment. Employment is the key factor that governs the stability of the population. With population comes services and access to facilities such as cultural facilities which enhance the quality of life.

A second part of the urban vision is to ensure that there is adequate housing for the population and that there is a good mix of public-private housing. An improved housing mix will be a challenge over the next ten years as family breakdowns increase, both spouses will need access to housing.

Other aspects of the vision that are important include: retention of the great community spirit in urban areas; improvement of traffic congestion as the main towns are by-passed; good social and cultural infrastructure in each town.

Seamus Moore (South Eastern Health Board) presented co-ordination and state agency perspectives on the vision for the future. His key points included:

From a co-ordination perspective, there is a major challenge to be addressed in moving from the design of the County Strategy to implementation of the County Straegy. In terms of achieving any vision for the future, three groups need to be convinced that the County Development Board can make a difference.

The first group is ourselves as Board members and it is fair to say that the process of designing the county strategy is working well to date.

The second group includes the organizations and sectors we represent. We have a challenge to ensure that the work of the County Development Board the work is kept on the agenda of the policy making meetings of our organizations/sectors. The County Strategy needs to enhance the individual work of all the bodies represented. It will give us an opportunity to address our own core work but in a more holistic way by being linked in terms of overall strategy and knowledge of what other agencies are doing. It is the responsibility of board members to ensure that their organisations' plans dovetail with the County Strategy and vice versa. We need to be thinking now how we will get the County Strategy endorsed by all our organizations and that resources will be dedicated to its implementation. As well as carrying out each of our individual core tasks, our organizations need to be commit resources to holistic and co-ordinated approaches.

The third group we need to convince are our organizations/sectors clients. The County Strategy must add value to their lives.

My vision of the future includes the following. Each organisation/sector takes ownership of the process of preparing and implementing the County Strategy. The decision makers in our organizations are briefed and have brought into the CDB process. All of us board members have a mandate from our organizations/sectors to deliver not just good will but proofs of the commitment. Finally, that there are stronger links between the organizations represented on the CDB and especially between the state agencies represented.

Tim Shanahan (South Tipperary Voluntary Community Group Platform) presented sub-county and social partner perspectives on the vision for the future. His key points included:

The future has already arrived. The community sector, along with the other social partners) is recognized as an equal and valued partner on the County Development Board and other public sector initiatives.

The community pillar, along with the other social partner pillars, is still in its infancy in South Tipperary. It has engaged in sub-county consultation and the following issues of concern have been identified – lack of volunteers; lack of facilities for youth; need to attract external investment into communities; and the importance of basic infrastructure in influencing where development takes place.

For the community pillar (and the other social partners) to play a full role, information and support are as important as funding. Early briefing on proposed plans and regular meetings with individual communities have already started. My vision is that a lot more information provisions/meetings will be held. This has resource implications for the future. A good start has been made with the delivery of resources to the Community Sector as outlined in the White Paper on Voluntary Activity. The South Tipperary Voluntary Community Group Platform proposes to use these resources to provide information/support to the community sector in responding to the opportunities that have arisen from the partnership approach to the development of the county.

John Devane (Tipperary LEADER Group) presented rural and local development perspectives on the vision for the future (full presentation available on request). His key points included:

Rural community members have a desire to live in harmony without tension and fear. Each community member would have a desire to be adequately included and respected as an equal. Communities also wish to be meaningfully included in the decision making process which impacts on their daily lives.

Community capacity (including the lack of community capacity) is a critical factor in local development. Community capacity includes:

Ability to play a partnership role
Holistic approach to planning, implementation (also delegation/consultation, transparency)
Representative and inclusive ethos
Develop a tolerant attitude
Practice equality
Seek local solutions (think globally, act locally)
Accepts/embraces diversity (many do not like change but as part of an open economy, political, social and economic change is inevitable)
Community needs to renew itself (many communities practice 'sameness')
Community identity.

A second aspect of the 'local development' vision is working toward 'self-sufficiency'. This requires optimum approaches to aspects such as: utilizing the capabilities of the population (area's human resource base); generating energy from green sources; a structured approach using planning and sanctions to promoting a clean environment; reducing and re-using the waste we generate; adding value to the food sector; local solutions to achieving local housing needs; connecting the primary education curriculum to the surrounding community environment; focus education more on the practical than the academic in a more inclusive approach; parish based health template, especially for children; design-in rather than design-out our culture, crafts and traditions; a sustainable rural transport system; enhance our capacity for enterprise and for being enterprising; and ensure good communications (access to new technologies and good roads).

In terms of achieving an enhanced 'self sufficiency' vision, five issues hold the key to the quality of the community environment:

Changes in mindset in relation to overemphasizing competition at all levels – education, sport, culture, morals
Meaningful occupation of children/youth needs attention
Voluntary time needs a critical examination
Clear statement of intent in relation to mainstreaming the rights and responsibilities of the disadvantaged and meaningful partnerships
Ø The way we do things – getting the right balance between getting the job done (the task) and the way it is done (process).

In opening the Board member's debate on 'a vision for the county ten years from now' the Chair questioned the type of vision that might have been developed in 1991 for the ten year period up to 2001. Clearly 'jobs for all' would have been part of the 1991 vision, an aspect that has been largely delivered. The approach to planning over the last ten years has help create and sustain pleasant places in which to live. The Board also needs to focus on things that can be lost. Could we have envisaged how difficult it has got to attract volunteers to the community sector? There can also be negative aspects to be countered. (The massive increase in traffic was cited as an example and what will traffic be like in the year 2011).

The following comments were noted:

2. Board appointment

3. Communication and Consultation

4. Progress Report from the Working Groups

5. Data sets and indicators