What is the Local Economic and Community Plan?

By law[1], all local authorities must prepare a six-year Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for their area by the end of December 2015.

The County Kilkenny LECP will consist of a series of actions based on the views of organisations, communities and people like you. This plan will influence the economic, social and community development of County Kilkenny until 2021.

Download the plan :  Kilkenny LECP 2016-2021

Cllr. Mary Hilda Cavanagh, An Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County announced the launch of Kilkenny Local Economic and Community Plan 2016-2021 (LECP) on the 12th February in the Rivercourt Hotel .

 

The plan was developed to ensure that “Kilkenny is a great place to live, work and play; offering its citizens dignity, security and the capacity to participate to their maximum potential”
The LECP provides a road map for the development of County Kilkenny to 2021. One of the main objectives of the LECP is to ensure the effective co-ordination of publicly funded programmes. As a statutory plan, the LECP will provide a blueprint for local and community development funding invested in County Kilkenny over the next 6 years. This includes programmes such as the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, or SICAP, and the LEADER rural development programme.

The LECP represents the culmination of over nine months’ work involving extensive research, public consultation, analysis, workshops and meetings. The Cathaoirleach in her opening address commented on the comprehensive process involved in preparing the LECP:
“The process of developing the plan has been a real collaboration between statutory agencies, local development organisations, elected representatives, local people, businesses and communities. The implementation of the plan therefore provides a unique opportunity for joined-up thinking and collaboration.”
She said: “I fully appreciate that the Plan is not an end in itself, and I am aware that the real work only now begins to make sure that the actions are implemented. It is critical that everyone with an interest in the development of County Kilkenny now work together to deliver on the Plan. I firmly believe that the LECP has the potential to make a positive impact, and to deliver better local services and outcomes for businesses and communities in County Kilkenny.”

While it is an integrated Plan, the LECP comprises 2 distinct elements: The Local Community Development Committee, or LCDC, prepared and is responsible for implementing the local community development aspects of the Plan; and the Strategic Policy Committee, or SPC, for Economic Development of Kilkenny County Council prepared and is responsible for implementing the economic development elements of the plan.

Both the Chair of the SPC for Economic Development, Cllr Pat Millea and the Chair of the Kilkenny LCDC, Mr. Fergus Keane from the Kilkenny Public Participation Network (PPN) spoke about the importance of this plan for Kilkenny. Cllr Millea referred to some of the 63 economic actions to be delivered in the plan over the next 6 years that include tourism as an economic driver, the availability of broadband and the further development of higher education facilities in Kilkenny; while Mr. Keane spoke about the 117 actions outlined in the community elements of the plan that will be delivered in an integrated fashion across 29 agencies and groups operating in Kilkenny; and the importance of the role that the many unpaid community work practitioners and volunteers plays in quality of life matters in Kilkenny.

The plan was launched by Ann Phelan TD; Minister of State at the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Marine and Transport, Tourism and Sport with Special Responsibility for Rural Economic Development (implementation of the CEDRA Report) and rural transport

The Minister said at the launch:
“The LECP is unique in nature, in that it brings the economic and community objectives and actions together in one integrated plan. I think we can all agree that this makes sense; as the local economy cannot thrive without a strong community base to back it up. We all acknowledge though that the work ahead to implement the Plan will require the same levels of collaboration and commitment by the partners at local level.”
The Minister commended everyone involved in the preparation of and for the quality of the plan as well as the extensive consultation process undertaken in its development.

Download the plan :  Kilkenny LECP 2016-2021