LONGFORD COUNTY COUNCIL TAKES THE LEAD ON RURAL WORKING HUBS

Longford County Council’s Rural Working Hub Strategy, which was developed to provide people with an opportunity to live and work within their local communities and, therefore, prevent the loss of daily economic and social activity in the county, was shortlisted for two separate awards at the end of last year.

The ground-breaking work of Longford County Council’s Regeneration Team was nominated in the ‘Local Authority Innovation Category’ of the 17th Annual Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2021, and was also shortlisted in the Economy Category of the fifth European-wide Innovation in Politics Awards 2021.

Longford is the first local authority in Ireland to develop such a strategy, which was first founded in late 2020 to address the fact that 3,324 workers travel outside the county for work (statistics correct as per 2016 Census).


Longford’s Rural Working Hubs Information Booklet

Longford’s Chief Executive Paddy Mahon said the nominations were a testament to the quality of the work done in Longford. “The guidance document produced by our Regeneration Team has been used as the basis for the national guidance document for this area going forward,” he added.

Longford’s Chief Executive Paddy Mahon

The project emerged through Longford’s involvement in a European-wide project with partners in Finland on rural working hubs. The consultation process included a webinar hosted by Longford County Council, which was attended and presented at by Minister of State with Responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy TD, as well as over 90 European participants.

The initiative is developing Rural Working Hubs in three locations in Longford – Edgeworthstown, Abbeyshrule and Ardagh. These facilities will allow employees to work closer to home; provide a base for entrepreneurs and start-ups; contribute towards a low carbon future and help redevelop Longford’s towns and villages under a digital strategy.