Town Team Facilitation – Granard Town, Co. Longford
Client: Longford County Council
Introduction/Overview Section:
Exodea Europe Consulting Limited was appointed by the Town Regeneration Office of Longford County Council to facilitate the creation of the Granard Town Team.
Granard, an historically significant town since Norman times, features the Motte and Bailey, Ireland’s highest with views over nine counties.
The town’s population has declined from 10,315 in 1837 to 1,058 in 2022.
A Town Centre First Town Team is a local group of residents, businesses, community organisations, and council representatives working to revitalise the town centre.
Their goal is to tackle issues like empty properties and economic decline, making the town centre a vibrant, sustainable place to live, work, and visit.
Project Details Section:
The key elements for the establishment of the Granard Town Team included the following:
1. Public Engagement: Hosting a public meeting to introduce the Town Centre First principles and gauge community interest in joining the Town Team.
2. Stakeholder Outreach: Direct engagement with local businesses, community groups, and leaders to encourage participation.
3. Team Formation: Facilitating a focused meeting with the Town Team to formalise the group, clarify its mandate, and guide its role in driving positive, long-term town improvements.
4. Stakeholder Representation: Ensuring key groups, including business owners, retailers, Gardaí, social enterprises, and sports/community organisations, were engaged.
Process/Approach Section:
Collaborative Approach
The development of the Town Team was founded on a collaborative approach incorporating the following:
Inclusive community engagement process, especially involving ‘unusual suspects’ who typically don’t participate in community initiatives but can contribute significantly.
A transparent, inclusive process where all community sectors are represented.
Collaboration to make the Town Team and Town Centre First process strategic and community-driven.
With the Town Regeneration Officer, the Town Team will tackle the identified challenges and enhance Granard as a key service hub through the Town Centre First Plan.