The Framework for Town Centre Renewal was prepared by a Working Group within the Retail Consultation Forum. A key challenge identified by the Forum was the issue of Town Centre Renewal and the need to develop a coherent and collaborative approach to implementing town centre renewal. Development of a Framework for Town Centre Renewal was a key priority for the Retail Consultation Forum under the Action Plan for Jobs 2017.
The Framework sets out the key characteristics of a successful town centre and identifies existing supports and best practice examples from around the country. Most importantly, the Framework includes an Action Plan for Town Centre Renewal which is intended to be a blueprint for towns and villages, guiding them through the three stages of town centre renewal: stakeholder engagement, carrying out a town centre health check and preparing a Town Centre Plan. The Framework includes a number of case studies which provide practical examples of best practice from a number of towns and villages around the country.
The Minister said: “Through a collaborative and structured approach to town centre renewal and the continued passion and dedication of people in towns and villages across the country we can achieve our ambition to create vibrant, thriving town centres that are attractive places not only to live in but to work in, do business in and invest in.
“I would like to thank Seamus Neely, Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, who chaired the Working Group which prepared this Framework, and all members of the Group for their contribution to the Framework.”
Through the Framework for Town Centre Renewal Town and the recently launched Village Renewal Scheme, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs are collectively supporting local Authorities, local businesses and local communities to adopt town centre management best practices and identify projects which will have a positive economic impact on their towns and villages.
A Framework for Town Centre Renewal
The Retail Consultation Forum was established under the Action Plan for Jobs 2014 to provide a platform for structured engagement between the retail sector and relevant Government Departments.
Membership of the Retail Consultation Forum includes a number of relevant Government Departments and Bodies, and a range of both representative bodies and practising retailers from across the retail sector.
The aim of the Retail Consultation Forum is to identify practical actions which can be taken by Government or by industry itself, to support the sector. In recognition of the critical role that the retail sector plays in creating vibrant town centres, a working group set up under the Retail Consultation Forum has focused on Town Centre Renewal.