Our Balbriggan, Our Time, Our opportunity to shape the future of our wonderful little seaside town.
Exciting times ahead for Balbriggan with the launch date announced of “Our Balbriggan" with dates for an engagement process spanning online, public meetings, drop in surveys and even pop up café events. This new vision for our town is to be called “Our Balbriggan” Fingal County Council have requested €17.1 Million from Government Urban Regeneration and Development Fund to which FCC will match with €5.7 million. A total package of €22.8 million to be spent on Balbriggan projects from 2019 to 2021. A public engagement process will be launched on the 26th November.
A new approach calling for all the people of Balbriggan to shape its own future, our little seaside town now has a real opportunity to shine. Time for everyone to get involved. There have been false starts in the past, ambitious plans hijacked, some had given up and accepted defeat. In the past few years some have stopped firing buns in the direction of Fingal Offices in Swords and pointing and coveting what other towns had and decided the best way to rejuvenate Balbriggan is to work with the community, properly engage with Fingal County Council and government, to seek a new vision. This is now becoming a reality, no more the need to look at our neighbouring towns and say why them? Now we have our own say and we can look at our own town and say what we want and see that we can get what we want if we all work together. The route to get involved and have your say is directly yourself or through your clubs and organisations. I believe that getting involved with our Balbriggan Community Council is a great way to ensure a unified vision is sought, a vision and strategy built by real people and if you want Balbriggan Community Council to deliver that voice and speak on your behalf then get involved and stay involved.
Workshops, consultations and surveys are coming, don’t just comment on Facebook get out and get involved make sure you have your say. I with Balbriggan.net will post and share updates and news as I get it, we really need to get behind this and make it work.
Key Dates
Chief Executive’s Management Report
Under the heading Economic Development in Mondays meeting Fingal Chief Executive stated “The development of the Balbriggan Socio Economic Strategy continues with the next step being a full 360 degree engagement process to ensure that all citizens have an opportunity to view the new vision for “Our Balbriggan” and get involved. A public engagement process will be launched on the 26th November and will include an online web portal, newsletter, drop-in sessions, pop-up engagements and world café events.”
Council Meeting Monday 12th
At Mondays Council meeting Cllr Dennision sought a report on the Balbriggan Socio Economic Strategy, details below.
Question “That the Chief Executive provide a detailed report on the local authority's 'new Balbriggan strategy' which was headlined in press articles in mid-April.” - Councillor K. Dennison - Monday, 12th November, 2018
Report:
In line with its mandate for local economic development, Fingal County Council is leading the formulation of a socio-economic strategy for Balbriggan. The strategy is based on four key pillars, namely Local Economy and Enterprise; Public Realm & Placemaking; Employment, Education and Training; and Community Affairs and Integration.
The approach taken is wide-ranging and designed to address all elements required to achieve Balbriggan’s long-term potential. During the period June to August 2018 12 workshops across the four pillars identified were held with 42 different bodies, represented by 66 individual stakeholders, a draft set of high level objectives and priorities were identified. An application was submitted to the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDP) in September requesting funds for €17,159,625, the proposed package of improvements contained in the application were public realm opportunities identified during the workshop process. The strategy process is been overseen by a leadership group, made up of local stakeholders, relevant agency representatives and subject matter experts. The Leadership group, chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith, Dublin City University has met on four occasions since its inception in May 2018. A wide ranging public consultation will launch on the 26th November, every resident is being asked to Get Involved and have their say via a simple online survey, numerous opportunities to drop in and see the draft plans in accessible locations, and a series of café-style meetings. The consultation will inform the final published strategy by the end March 2019.
Download Fingal County Council Presentation made Monday 12th November 2018