Facilitation and Preparation of a Community-led Socio-Economic Plan for Valentia Island, Co Kerry
Client: Kerry County Council
Introduction/Overview Section:
Exodea Europe Consulting Limited was commissioned to develop a community-led Socio-Economic Plan for Valentia Island, Co Kerry.
The Plan for Valentia aimed to unify the community and support a bid for UNESCO World Heritage designation for the transatlantic cable.
Project Details Section:
This initiative, led by Kerry County Council, Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation, and Heart’s Content, Newfoundland, involved several key steps:
1. Engaging with local groups, businesses, educational institutions, development bodies, elected members, and council staff.
2. Developing an understanding of broad engagement resulting in the establishment of a Steering Group.
3. Designing and facilitating a process through multiple stakeholder meetings to:
Set the project’s context, build support, and highlight benefits.
Agree on a communication strategy.
Present and explore findings.
Consult on the draft plan to ensure buy-in.
Process/Approach Section:
Community Consultation
The process aimed to deliver:
1. Information on the area’s attributes and challenges, referencing previous plans and studies.
2. Demographic data including age profile, deprivation levels, full-time and part-time residents, and holiday home numbers.
3. An inventory of local skills, buildings, industry, recreational facilities, and services (community buildings and bus routes).
4. Description of changes over recent years and identification of social, educational, economic, cultural, and environmental needs.
5. Consideration of strategic policies and plans impacting the area.
6. Stakeholder engagement included statutory and non-statutory agencies.
In consultation with the community, priority projects and measures were identified across economic, enterprise, tourism, social, cultural, services, amenities, public realm, environmental, heritage, and amenity sectors, along with necessary resourcing and development plans.
Outcomes/Results Section:
Socio-Economic Plan Design
The Socio-Economic Plan was designed to reflect the views of the community and agency stakeholders and relate these to the potential that would accrue from the designation of the Island as a UNESCO World Heritage site for the transatlantic cable, in common with Heart’s Content, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.