Features in the spotlight

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL ‘LOCAL AUTHORITY OF THE YEAR’ 2022

Clare County Council was named ‘Local Authority of the Year 2022’ at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards. The Banner County also picked up category awards for the ‘Festival of the Year’ and ‘Sustaining the Arts’, and was shortlisted in five other categories.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AWARD WINNERS FOR 2022

Clare County Council scooped the ‘Local Authority of the Year’ accolade for 2022 at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards in Dublin, as the 19th Annual Awards ceremony in November 2022, in association with the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, again served to showcase the best of local government in Ireland.

ACTIVE CITIES FOR AN ACTIVE FUTURE

A new national campaign has been launched to get as many people participating in physical activity as possible in the country’s biggest urban cities. Sport Ireland’s ‘Active Cities’ project is calling on everyone across Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford to create more opportunities for participation in sport and physical activity through collaboration, partnership and planning.

€50M FUNDING TO DEVELOP LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS

The new €50 million Community Recognition Fund will specifically support communities in Ireland that are hosting people from Ukraine and other countries. Applications are now being sought from local authorities based on engagement with local communities and clear targeting of proposed projects to areas with the highest level of need.

ROYAL COUNTY’S LATEST SOCIAL HOUSING SCHEME IS A GEM!

Gem Construction played a crucial role in the latest development of 96 social homes at The Willows in Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath – the first social housing project of this year for the Royal County – and it forms a key part of the ‘Housing for All’ strategy, aimed at providing long-term, secure homes to those households in need.

THE LDA – OPENING DOORS TO AFFORDABLE HOMES

The Land Development Agency (LDA) is committed to meeting the need for affordable homes for purchase and rent across Ireland, and the Affordable Living programme, which it launched in October 2022, now aims to meet this need by providing homes for both purchase and rent, which is a core objective of the Agency.

LACK OF EV CHARGE POINTS IN NORTHERN AND WESTERN REGION

The number of publicly available electric vehicle charge points is notably low in rural counties, according to research released by the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA). The study revealed that the target of one million electric vehicles by 2030 is not achievable without proper charging point infrastructure.

MID EAST COUNTY COUNCILS UNITE TO MITIGATE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

As climate change continues to pose global challenges coupled with significant local impacts, Wicklow, Meath and Kildare County Councils have collaborated to address their combined climate mitigation ambitions through the formation of the Mid East Energy Unit, which was officially launched at Wicklow County Council’s head office in December 2022.

PATHFINDER PROJECT FOR SOUTH DUBLIN ON THE RIGHT TRACK

South Dublin County Council will focus on the Dublin 24 Rapid Build and Castletymon Neighbourhood Scheme, which will include rapid delivery of a 11km cycle network in Tallaght/D24, and the development of Castletymon as a 10-minute neighbourhood via walking and cycling infrastructure, with public realm improvements.

DÚN LAOGHAIRE COASTS TO VICTORY WITH GREAT TOWN AWARD

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council picked up the Great Town 2022 award for Dún Laoghaire, which was chosen by the Great Places Urbanism Awards for the Coastal Mobility Cycle Route, which encourages local commuter and recreational cycling, public realm improvements; connecting urban villages, bathing places, walks and parks along the coast.

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL ROLLS OUT ACTIVE TRAVEL NETWORK FOR CAPITAL

Dublin City Council has rolled out a series of proposals for an active travel network to transform the way people walk, wheel and cycle throughout the capital, and has a timeline of up to ten years to deliver over 80 infrastructure projects along the 310km network.