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Wicklow LivCom Awards 2012
- 1. County THE COUNTY OF WICKLOW : IRELAND Presented by: Cllr. Gráinne Mc Loughlin, Cllr. Pat Casey & Cllr. George Jones
- 2. Where we are .......
- 3. / M11 N81 M50 1. North Wicklow This is the most populated part of the County as it is adjacent to the Dublin Metropolitan Area. It includes Blessington, Enniskerry and the N11 commuting areas of Bray, Greystones, Kilcoole and Newtownmountkennedy. 2. The South East This region stretches from North of Wicklow town to south of Arklow. This N11 corridor has been developed extensively over the last 10 years including the new Wicklow Port Road, allowing for efficient and effective access to Wicklow Port from the Main National Route. 3. The South & West This region covers the area west of Rathdrum/Aughrim to Dunlavin/ Baltinglass and south towards Tinahely and Counties Carlow and Wexford. With no links with any major urban centre, this is the least developed part of the County. The Population of Wicklow is 136,640 N81 M50
- 6. National Planning & Development Acts EU Habitat Directive Water Framework Directive Wicklow County Development Plan Wicklow Biodiversity Plan 2012-2015 National Biodiversity Plan Woodlands, Trees & Hedgerows Water Systems Areas of Special AmenityMountain and Lakeshore Areas Landscape & Views / Prospects Recreation use of Natural Resources Coastal Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Rural AreasUrban Areas Geology
- 10. . To better understand the biodiversity of Wicklow. To raise awareness of biodiversity in Wicklow. To conserve and enhance habitats and species in Wicklow To foster active participation to help biodiversity in Wicklow
- 13. The basic aims of WMNP are: ● To conserve nature within WMNP ● To conserve other significant features and qualities within the WMNP ● To encourage public appreciation of WMNP through the provision of interpretative materials and the development of the education programme ● To develop a harmonious relationship between WMNP and the surrounding community, taking into account the social and economic needs of local communities ● To promote research and environmental monitoring in WMNP and thus contribute to scientific knowledge
- 17. GLENDALOUGH
- 18. Urban landscapes
- 19. Example Town Centre Strategy Blessington Local area Plan 2012-2018 1) Circulation and car parking to include Pedestrian / cyclist movement & Car parking 2) Ensuring high quality surroundings 3) The protection of buildings, features and places of heritage value 4) Retailing in the town centre Specific objectives of the strategy include the following………
- 21. The Arts Strategy Art Forms Infrastructure Youth Arts Arts in the Public Realm
- 24. Bray Jazz Festival Bray Summerfest Bray Arcadia Festival Yarn Festival of Story and Song Arcadia Festival Greystones Arts Festival Gourmet Greystones Americana Roots Festival Kilcoole Family Festival Wicklow Sailfest Wicklow Arts Festival Wicklow Regatta Festival Arklow Seabreeze Festival Arklow Maritime Festival Glendalough Arts Festival Vale of Avoca welcome home week Canada Come Home Wicklow Heritage Week Hollywood Fair Tinahely Show Carnew Show Baltinglass Balloon Festival Knockanstockan Festival Wicklow Adventure Races WICKLOW FESTIVALS YEAR ROUND CELEBRATIONS
- 27. WICKLOW – THE HOLLYWOOD OF EUROPE Jane Seymour 2004
- 29. 24 Hour Lo-call number available to the Public to report illegal dumping confidentially. Combating Dumping in the Uplands Providing educational support to teachers in Primary Schools – now part of the National Curriculum Public Awareness Campaigns Community initiatives
- 31. In 2012 Wicklow secured 3 Blue Flag Beaches Greystones - South Beach Brittas Bay - North Beach Brittas Bay - South Beach
- 32. Green-Schools Wicklow In Wicklow there are 107 educational facilities registered in Green Schools. 94% of primary and secondary schools are registered. To date 68 schools have been awarded the Green flag
- 33. 21 Tidy Towns Groups 4 Coast Care Group Mountain Meitheal Volunteers PURE Project Volunteers Wicklow Uplands Volunteers River Vartry Protection Society Rivers Protection Group East Coast Nature Reserve Volunteers Friends of the Murrough Volunteers Friends of the Cliff Walk Bray Swan Protection Group Environmental Community Groups in Wicklow
- 34. Re-Cycling in Wicklow Wicklow South 13 Centres Wicklow East 15 Centres Wicklow West 8 Centres Wicklow North 15 Centres Household Recycling Pick-up facilities 100%
- 35. Extension of the smoky coal ban to 5 towns in Wicklow
- 36. All Wicklow Public Leisure Centres Gain National Award 2012
- 38. Empowering the people through volunteerism Arts & Culture 76 Agriculture 4 Animal Welfare 6 Awareness Groups 24 Community Centres 21 Community Support 68 Traveller Support 5 Disability 47 Environment 27 Health & Medical 28 Older People 38 Recreation & Social 196 Rescue 6 Community Services 31 Residential Care 9 Religious Groups 36 Voluntary Groups in Wicklow
- 40. Lobbying for Groups & Individuals Networking Training Conferences and Seminars
- 45. General Health of the Population of Wicklow (Census 2011) Health Males Females Total % Overall Very Good 42,645 43,545 86,190 63.1% Good 18,070 18,294 36,364 26.6% Fair 4,782 5,236 10,018 7.3% Bad 731 739 1,470 1.1% Very Bad 140 160 300 0.2% Not Stated 1,174 1,124 2,298 1.7% Total 67,542 69,098 136,640 100%
- 46. Community Health Support in Wicklow
- 47. Sept 2011 – 13 community peer leaders were trained by the Health Service Executive Community Dietician May 2012 – Community peer leaders received further training in delivery of Cool Dude courses aimed at 10-14 year olds. Year 1 30 courses have been delivered 308 individuals took part
- 48. Profile of Participating Groups 35% 12% 16% 12% 5% 6% 14% Referred support services e.g Springboard, School Liaison Officer Youth Disabilities Older People Traveling Community Intercultural Community Group
- 49. 27% 14%49% 10% Cooking Food Pyrmaid Nutritional Information Reading Labels Most helpful aspects of HFME 32% 21% 26% 21% Use healthy Ingredients Portion Control Nutritionl Informaton Shopping smarter Participative learning from HFME 126 evaluations from 12 courses delivered were analysed
- 50. Reported changes in eating, cooking & shopping habits 19% 65% 14% 2% Now Read labels Eat Healthier Improved cooking style plan to make changes 9% 8% 6% 17%60% LongerwithCommunity Dietitian More classes Biggerclass space More cookinginstruction Veryhappy/no changes Response to request to suggestions about improvement for the course
- 51. Beet the Bleep Challenge A fitness improvement challenge for secondary School Students in Wicklow Looking for the school that has the best fitness Levels amongst all students
- 52. What is “Beat the Bleep” •This test involves continuous running between two lines 20 metres apart in time to recorded beeps. •The running speed is increased at approximately one minute intervals. •Participants attempt to complete as many runs (shuttles: run of 20 m)as possible while keeping up with the bleeps •Wk 1: Beat the Bleep test: Results Recorded. •Wk 6 : Beat the Bleep test: Results Recorded. Exercise Programme…… 3 Physical Education Classes for 6 weeks (Previously only 1 P.E. Class) Variety of Running activities Everybody in the class must participate except in exceptional circumstances Looking for the school that improves their fitness the most
- 53. % of Stude nts Students said that…. 83% they were looking forward to the Beat the Bleep Challenge 96% they would like to continue to have 3 P.E. Classes next year. 55% they went walking with their teacher at lunch-time 17% they found the training sessions very tough. 76% they enjoyed using “Edmodo” (social media platform) as a means of communicating with the teachers 34% before starting this challenge did not believe that it would make any difference to their fitness 86% they were surprised at how much fitter they got over the 6 weeks. 69% they never believed that they could even come close to winning this competition.
- 54. S0ME INTERESTING OUTCOMES.......Gender differences? 1. More girls walk at lunch-time than Boys. 2. The boys were a lot more confident about becoming fit at the start of the programme than the girls. (90% of boys believed they could get fitter but only 55% of girls believed.) 3. All students took on extra exercise during the programme 4. Most Popular with Boys: Running 5. Most popular with Girls: Walking 4. The girls found the training sessions a lot tougher than the boys.
- 55. Go for Life is the programme for physical activity for older people with a mission to get more older people more active, more often
- 56. SPORTS IN WICKLOW 17 Angling Clubs 3 Archery Clubs 3 Athletic Clubs 9 Badminton Clubs 2 Basketball Clubs 3 Bowling Clubs 4 Bowls Clubs 5 Boxing Clubs 3 Canoe & Kayak Clubs 2 Cricket Clubs 9 Cycling Clubs 20 Soccer Clubs 31 GAA Football Clubs 13 GAA Hurling Clubs 24 Golf Clubs 8 Gymnastics Clubs 2 Martial Arts 2 Orienteering Clubs 3 Pony Clubs 11 Riding Clubs 4 Rowing Clubs 4 Rugby Clubs 6 Sailing Clubs 3 Hockey Clubs 1 Snooker Club 1 squash Club 4 Sub Aqua Clubs 4 Swimming Clubs 5 Tennis Clubs 7 Triathlon Clubs
- 58. “I am very excited to be promoting health and wellness as it is an issue that is very close to my heart. As an elite athlete I know at first hand the impact of diet and nutrition on performance but also the importance of achieving a healthy life balance” Katie Taylor World Boxing Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Nov 2012 Katie Taylor An inspirational Athlete
- 60. STRATEGIC PLANNING At the heart of Wicklow
- 61. National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 Sustainable Development –Making Ireland’s Development Sustainable 2002 The National Development Plan,2007 – 2013 Transport 21 National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 Water Framework Directive & the River Basin Management Plans Dublin Transportation Office – A Platform for Change 2000 – 2016 Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area National Heritage and Biodiversity Plans Context of County Development Plan Regional Strategies National Strategies
- 62. Water Framework Directive & the River Basin Management Plans County Development Board ‘Outlook A 10 year strategic plan for County Wicklow’ Integrated Framework Plans for Land Use and Transportation (IFPLUT) and Land Use and transportation Guidelines (LUTs Wicklow Waste Management Plan Wicklow Outdoor Recreation, Sports and Play Strategies National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the study of ‘Vernacular Architecture of Co Wicklow Local Plans & other studies County Wicklow Biodiversity Plan County Wicklow Heritage Plan Regional Strategies Wicklow Local Plans, Strategies and Studies North Bray & environs 2006 Greystones 2004 Wicklow & environs 2005 Arklow & environs 2003 County Development Plan
- 63. Wicklow Settlements 1 Metropolitan Area 1 Metropolitan Consolidation Town 2 Large Growth Towns 2 Moderate Sustainable Growth Towns 8 small growth towns
- 65. Local Area Plan Time Frame
- 66. character and heritage the essence of a place and place making vitality and diversity creating robust strategies to meet the needs of the local economy, community, and society community and housing targeted response to community housing and educational needs urban and landscape structure and form a coherent and distinctive spatial strategy movement and transport promotion of integrated, multi-modal transport needs energy and micro-climate sustainable generation and consumption of energy KEY LOCAL AREA PLAN STRATEGIES
- 68. This presentation would not have been possible without the support and co-operation of the following All the staff and Director of Services Wicklow County Council – www.wicklow.ie Fred Verdier and the Board of Wicklow Tourism – www.visitwicklow.ie Kevin Lewis and all the staff in Wicklow VEC – www.wicklowvec.ie Frank Darcy and Siobhan Geoghegan, County Wicklow Partnership (CWP) – www.wicklowpartnership.ie Anne Kavanagh – Healthy Food Made Easy CWP Ann Byrne – Social Inclusion Manager CWP Helen Corbett & Noreen O’Reilly – Arklow Community College Mary Kinnane – County Wicklow Playbus Project Pauline Fahy – Brockagh Resource Centre, Laragh Aisling Mc Dermott – Marketing Manager – Tourism Ireland Ciara Whooley – Irish Baubles – www.irishbaubles.com Vibeke Delahunt - Access Officer /Film Commissioner The Photographers: Breda Matthews – www.bloominlovelycards.ie James Griffin - www.facebook.com/jegphotoart Jody Connaughton – www.connaughton.eu Declan McCarthy – www.declanmccarthy.ie James Griffin – www.jegphotoart.com Joel Tamsalu, Emeralda Photos, Chris Belton, Anne Stanley, John McGowan, Ciaran Hayden, Ann Kennedy, Jodie Uhlemann
Editor's Notes
- The County of Wicklow is situated on the East Coast of Ireland. It occupies an area of 2,027 square kilometres, has a population of 136.640 and is a county of contrasts in terms of its landscape and structure.
- The “functional areas” of Co. Wicklow are divided with a rural/urban contrast. The existing patterns of development have been influenced by the location of key items of infrastructure and a settlement pattern that has evolved over centuries. Development is at its most intense around Dublin and along the two main transport corridors of the N11 and the N81.
- The landscape is one of mountains, rolling foothills, forests, coastline and lakes, all with magnificent views. The spine of a granite mountain range runs in a Northeast to Southwest direction across the county and forms one of the most extensive areas of continuous upland terrain in Ireland. It is a place that has a unique presence and timeless beauty that lends itself naturally as one of the most liveable places in the world.
- County Wicklow has a rich and diverse natural landscape containing such habitats as upland bog and heath, fen, woodland, hedgerows, rivers, lakes, cliffs, dunes and coastal areas, many of which are recognized as being of local, national and EU importance, and many are designated for protection / preservation under national and/or EU Legislation. It has one National Park, 14 Special Areas of Conservation, 34 Natural Heritage Areas , 4 Special Protection Areas ,and 6 Nature Reserves
- The natural environment of Wicklow is managed, protected and sustained through specific policies that link right back to National and EU Guidelines. The biodiversity of County Wicklow contributes enormously to the local economy, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and forestry, but also in less apparent ways such as flooding abatement and erosion control.
- Wicklow supports a wonderful diversity of natural and semi natural habitats such as marine, coastal, wetland, woodland, lake, river and upland environments that in turn support a wide range of wild plant and animal species. This provides intrinsic economic and social benefits for the County and contributes greatly to quality of life, recreational, amenity and tourism value. The uplands, shaped by the last Ice Age provide a dramatic backdrop of high peaks, sharp cliffs and wide ‘U-shaped’ valleys.
- Much of the Wicklow lowland areas comprise farmed areas, largely used for grazing and silage. These fields, however, are often separated by hedgerows and interspersed with woodlands and small wetland areas
- Rivers connect the upland areas to other parts of the county, with river valleys running east, south, west and north forming wildlife corridors around the county. Often appearing as wooded valleys, these corridors form an important part of the Wicklow landscape. The coastal areas include rocky headlands, shingle beaches and sand dune systems.
- The biodiversity of Wicklow is well studied in comparison to other counties in Ireland. Taking account of the above issues, the objectives for the Wicklow BAP are listed on the slide This is intended to be a 5-year working document. While it will stand in the same form from the point of adoption, it is acknowledged that priorities and issues will be continually changing. In order to be successful, therefore, the Wicklow BAP will be reviewed in a systematic way taking into account the national biodiversity plan that is currently under review.
- Red Kite chicks discovered in a nest in County Wicklow after an absence of over 200 years represent a significant milestone for biodiversity in Ireland. A pair of kites successfully reared a brood of young, and the fully fledged chicks have been flying from the nest since July. The bird of prey has been extinct in Ireland since the middle of the 19th century, due to poisoning and woodland clearance. A national programme of Red Kite reintroduction was launched in Ireland in 2010 by Golden Eagle Trust, in partnership with the National Parks & Wildlife Service.
- BirdWatch Ireland, Ireland’s largest independent nature conservation organisation, has, since the end of 2004 been working to create a wetland nature reserve at Blackditch, near Newcastle, Co. Wicklow,. This is one of the few attempts to restore wetlands habitats in Ireland; the project shows the potential for returning rare habitats to their former glory and for wildlife friendly farming.
- The Wicklow Mountains National Park is currently 17,000 ha in area, encompasses large expanses of blanket bog and heath of the Wicklow Uplands. The National Park was established in 1991 with a core area comprising Glenealo Valley and Glendalough Nature Reserves.
- The Education staff of Wicklow Mountains National Park run a series of events for the public each season. All the events are free of charge.
- Wicklow is the most wooded county in Ireland, with almost 20% of the county covered by woodland and forestry. Woodland types in the county vary from upland oak woodlands to birch dominated bog woodland and wet woodland dominated by willow and alder. The planted woodlands of the demesnes in the county are also significant for biodiversity. Commercial forestry has a large holding in the county as well. Coillte – the Irish Forestry Board owns or manages over 30,000 hectares. Sustainability is at the heart of their business and they use the Global Reporting Initiative framework to report annually on sustainable performance
- Wicklow as the Garden of Ireland is rich in exquisite gardens, many of which are recognized as the best in the country, To celebrate, a festival is held annually from April-September. 2012 offered a choice of 33 gardens. All are of outstanding natural beauty and diversity and each one distinctive in terms of mood and theme. Due to the temperate climate, an unrivalled variety of trees, plants and shrubs await the visitor with many private gardens being opened, exclusively for this event .
- For thousands of years people have been drawn to 'the valley of the two lakes' for its spectacular scenery, rich history, archaeology and abundant wildlife. Glendalough is a remarkable place that will still your mind, inspire your heart and fill your soul. It has long been an area renowned for its natural beauty and history and it is one of the most visited places in Ireland. While renowned for it’s magnificent scenery Glendalough is also full of a rich and varied heritage in terms of history, monuments, archaeology, architecture, landscapes, geology, parks, flora, fauna, wildlife habitats & mining history. The Glendalough Valley was carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age and the two lakes, from which Glendalough gets its name, were formed when the ice eventually thawed. The Valley is home to one of Ireland’s most impressive monastic sites founded by St. Kevin in the 6th Century. and from this developed the ‘Monastic City’.
- The core town centre area, which is usually the historic core, allows for a wide range and mix of uses. Regardless of the type of site, new development generally must follow the pattern of development in that area, with regard to building form, massing, height and design features. Within the county development plan the strategic objective for towns is to be or to become the heart of the community, the principal area for communities to meet, interact, shop and recreate.
- Within a local area plan specific recommendations are put in place that allow for development without loosing the expertise of external architects or town planners when designing new projects The reason for this is threefold... To support and facilitate activities and developments that will improve the vitality, connectivity and vibrancy of the town centre areas. To promote the development of opportunity sites within the town centre To ensure that all new applications for retail development accord with the provisions of the “Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities”
- Wicklow has a dedicated Arts Officer who provides and develops various points of access to the arts for artists, organisations, and audiences through the support and development of key areas. These areas include practitioners of artforms such as visual arts, dance, theatre, literature, music, film and collaborative arts. It also supports new infrastructure projects, Youth Arts that includes film, theatre and music and Arts in the Public Realm which are arts practices which specifically engage communities and audiences. These can include activities in a variety of community contexts, which may be associated with a festival or an existing programme.
- Upon entering the County of Wicklow, one can be struck by the amount of public art that is placed, almost randomly throughout the County. Intensive work has been carried out in the area of public art development for Wicklow . The Local Authority have advocated and operated on the principal that the artist is acknowledged as being of primary importance in the public art process. .
- Music Generation Wicklow sees music education as a key tool for the artistic, social and intellectual development of children and young people. We are working towards a high quality, inclusive music education programme , which provides a strategically designed gateway for the appreciation of music for young participants throughout all areas of society. It commenced in May 2012 and already 3000 children are participating in various strands of the programme. This includes a Wicklow Children’s Choral Music Program and The Wicklow’s Foundation Music Program now running in 38 Schools throughout Wicklow and Workshops and Summer schools
- In Wicklow, we celebrate our local communities annually with festivals and events that offer an eclectic mix of entertainment from multi-disciplinary arts to heritage events, from Music to sports festival. In 2013, Ireland is celebrating ‘the Gathering’ a year long celebration inviting you to come over and celebrate with us – Wicklow is very much part of this and in addition to the above, there are many family and heritage gatherings happening throughout the year
- Wicklow has a dedicated heritage officer who works closely with all stakeholders to promote, preserve and develop our heritage. Heritage is considered to include monuments, archaeology, heritage objects, architecture, flora, fauna, etc., but in addition, the Heritage Forum in Wicklow included elements of cultural heritage of importance in County Wicklow. This includes written history, genealogy, placenames, traditional skills and crafts were included in the scope of the County Heritage Plan. It is the diversity of heritage in County Wicklow that gives the county its unique character, distinguishing individual towns, villages and rural places, and offering direct benefits to all the people of Wicklow in terms a ‘sense of place’, quality of life, and economic well being.
- In Wicklow, Local Area Plans must maintain a register of protected special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest and policies for protecting these structures. The range and type of structures is vast from large gothic style Victorian houses which might be spectacular and of national importance to historically designed landscapes and gardens including settings and curtilage.
- Wicklow is the film capital of Ireland and 70% of films made in Ireland are made in Wicklow. Some of the world’s biggest blockbusters have been filmed and produced in our county. The world renowned Ardmore Studios are based in Bray, /with 5 stages up to 15,000 sq ft and now Wicklow has the state of the art Ballyhenry Film Studios in Ashford with three stages up to 25,000 sf. This is the Worlds 1st fully integrated film studio which puts the studios literally metres from each other.
- The PURE Project (Protecting Uplands & Rural Environments), is an environmental project established to halt incidents of small scale illegal dumping/fly-tipping in the Wicklow/Dublin upland regions. The PURE Primary Schools Teachers' Pack is designed to provide primary school teachers with information and work sheets on environmental education. ‘The PURE Mile’ is an environmental initiative of the PURE project which aims to foster a greater appreciation and awareness of our country roadscapes by rewarding and acknowledging local community efforts through keeping a mile stretch of road (approx. 1.6 km), and the immediate environment litter/rubbish free, while simultaneously considering the preservation and careful maintenance of the Biodiversity & Heritage of the area.
- Wicklow County Council works with Tidy Town Groups across a range of services including the Area Offices, Community and Enterprise, the Heritage Office and the Environmental Awareness Office. The Environmental Awareness Office provides talks or workshops in local communities. Apart form the Councils Area Engineers directly helping Tidy Towns Committees and Residents Associations by way of street cleaning and footpath renewal the Council tries to channel money direct to these organizations in two ways. A Tidy Estates/ Main Street competition is run annually and the County Council also offer a Tree Planting Grant scheme to these organizations with a grant of at least 50% towards the cost of planting Deciduous Trees in their local towns and villages.
- Brittas Bay is a long sheltered beach and the most popular beach in Wicklow. The area is designated as a special area of conservation. This area is of ecological importance and many habitats of interest include sand dunes and grassland areas. The landscape is dominated by the huge sand dunes, which approximately cover 100 hectares. Brittas Bay is. It has a 5km stretch of beautiful white sand dunes and clean beaches and has won and maintained the Blue Flag for many years now. Greystones beach is a mix of pebble and sand and is located at the southern end of the town of Greystones.
- Green schools continue to be a key interface with the community in Wicklow. 94% of schools are registered with 78% gaining at least one Green Flag The Green-Schools programme can help schools to: Improve the School environment, Reduce litter and waste, Reduce fuel bills and energy usage, Reduce water consumption, Promote car free travel to school, Increase environmental awareness, Involve the local community, Gain local publicity, Wicklow has particularly embraced the project with schools working hard to embrace the 7 steps required to receive the Green Flag for their schools and their communities. It is referred to internationally as Eco-Schools.
- Environmental Volunteerism is particularly strong in Wicklow. Due to the wide variations in topography, there are many organisations and groups working to support, lobby and maintain and protect various products and resources in the county. For example the Mountain Metheal volunteers protect and conserve the mountain and forest environment by repairing, maintaining and building mountain and forest trails while maintaining the challenge for recreational users and striving to preserve a sense of solitude and a 'wilderness' experience.
- Re-cycling in Wicklow is a way of life for the Wicklow community and it has excellent re-cycling facilities. Homes in the County are supplied with re-cycling bins in addition to normal waste disposal bins. In addition there is Brown waste disposal Scheme that caters for Garden Waste. Last year Ireland continued to exceed EU used packaging recovery and recycling targets by recovering and recycling 652,000 tonnes an increase of 4.1% on 2010, which represents the equivalent carbon savings of taking over a quarter of a million cars off Irish roads in 2011. Specifically, it shows that Ireland’ has well surpassed its 2011 recovery target of 60% under the EC Packaging Directive (94/62/EC) and with a recovery rate of 78% for 2011, figures are looking even better for 2012. Wicklow is recognised as one of the highest re-cycling counties in the country
- The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of smoky coal was introduced in Dublin in 1990 to deal with winter smog and applies to 20 cities and towns. A study estimated that the Dublin restriction resulted in some 350 fewer deaths each year. A 70% reduction in the average smoke levels in winter in towns with the ban has been achieved. The County of Wicklow has implemented more smoky coal bans than anywhere else in the country
- The White Flag Award The White Flag for Leisure Facilities is a national hygiene/environmental award aimed at swimming pools, sports halls, gymnasiums and other indoor leisure facilities throughout Ireland. This award is based on the international Blue Flag award scheme and emphasizes high standards in both environmental activities and hygiene. The awards are based on exacting standards and include the exterior, grounds and interior; Pools, Operations and Environmental management, Education, information & Water quality and treatment
- Volunteerism is at the heart of a community and Wicklow is no exception at identifying needs and through voluntary input supporting the various activities, organisations, lobby groups and agencies within the County. Wicklow has a volunteer agency to support both those looking to volunteer and organizations looking for volunteers. They have reported that with the downturn in the economy volunteerism activity has increased substantially in Wicklow.
- Wicklow hosts a programme of Community Action Days. Each event consists of themed talks, presentations and discussions, targeting areas of interest to community groups and individuals. The overall aim of the programme is to recognize, support and assist the valuable contribution of community groups and individuals all over Wicklow in carrying out activities to enhance and maintain their local areas. Local voluntary action goes a long way to making the towns, villages and rural areas of Wicklow better places to live and work.
- The Co Wicklow Network aims to provide a Voice for Older People in the County, and works on their behalf with all relevant agencies and Bodies. The Networks aims are to promote positive ageing, tackle ageism and to advocate on issues affecting the lives of Older People in the County. Some work done includes a submission on National Positive Ageing Strategy, Supported Age Action Campaigns, Make submissions to the County development Board Plan, lobbied to national fuel and transport agencies and host two very successful conferences annually
- Comhairle na nÓg provide a forum for children and young people to discuss local and national issues of relevance to them. Delegates from Comhairle na nÓg are elected to represent their local area at the annual Dáil na nÓg. (Youth parliamnent). Comhairle na nÓg interact with policy makers to ensure that the views of young people are included in shaping policies and services. Over the past year the Comhairle held a conference, a youth consultation day, seminars on various relevant issues to them and sat on a Strategic Policy Committee and inputted their views into Area Development Plans. In consultation with the Gardaí (the irish police force), they have completed a confidential survey to ascertain their relationship with the Gardai and to determine future relationships between the Gardaí and young people in the county
- Wicklow Rural Transport service provides bus routes which are designed to meet the needs of people in isolated rural areas of Co. Wicklow and allow people gain access to urban facilities from national transport services to medical and health services, etc. Wicklow Rural Transport has recorded approximately 285,000 passenger journeys since April 2003 when it commenced. The key target groups are those with potentially the highest unmet travel needs: Older people, Young people, People with disabilities, People on low income and people on home duties.
- The Buala Bus is a double decker bus which provides play facilities, information outreach services, community education, family support, youth services, while also combating loneliness and isolation among the families with young children in rural communities. On the upper deck there is a play area for pre-school children and afterschool club. The lower deck has an IT space for community education initiatives, workshops, information stands for the general community and meeting space for the elderly and youth groups. The Buala Bus is a fun and exciting project which enhances the lives and the communities which it services.The name Buala Bus is an irish language term meaning ‘Clap Hands’ – a name picked by a young student from Wicklow
- Every five years Ireland has a census of population and census 2011 has accumulated vast data of not only the whole county but details regarding villages towns and districts from a population, socio and economic point of view. Wicklow has scored very well from a health point of view with 90% of the population reporting very good or good health. The figures accumulated will affect policies in healthy lifestyles of the whole population of the county and will determine future health care requirements going forward
- It is impossible to list all the organisations that provide back up health support to the Health of the community in Wicklow. This support provides an invaluable contribution to the wellbeing of the Community. But whatever the need, Wicklow rallies to the cause and can be proud of their support of Health issues in the County.
- Following recent research into obesity in Ireland, in 2011 – Co. Wicklow Partnership & the Health Service Executive established Healthy Food Made Easy . It is a community- based and community-delivered food and nutrition programme, that includes theory and cookery sessions Key aims are to; encourage healthy eating to reduce reliance on prepared foods to engage in more cooking/ food preparation to enhance nutritional knowledge
- Participation was from a wide range of susceptible socio-economic groups. The emphasis throughout the courses is on group learning rather than formal teaching Number of participant in groups ranged from 7 to 18. The 14% of participants associated with groups working in the mainstream community include groups such as parents associations, parish groups and general older peoples groups. While these groups are not designated as disadvantaged some but not all of the participants do experience disadvantage.
- It has been proven to be an outstanding success, with learning outcomes very positive. As you can see 49% expressed the knowledge of Nutritional information one of the most helpful aspects and fairly equal percentage across the four elements of the participative learning process.
- Upon consideration of the respondents evaluations, changes have been made to the programme commencing in Autumn 2012. The programme is considered an outstanding success and all recipients also get a special cookbook 101 square meals
- Wicklow secondary schools are facing up to the challenge of overweight students with a Beet the Bleep Challenge
- So, what does it involve In September 2011, one secondary school in Wicklow joined in a nationwide competition called Beat the Bleep to improve fitness levels in the students. They picked three classes and came in the top 10 in the country. Students were monitored throughout the 6 week campaign and very exciting and encouraging result were obtained
- The feed back from the challenge was very encouraging with a 77% improvement in Girls and 58% improvement in boys in fitness in the three classes over a six week period. Physical Education classes were increased from 1 to 3 per week and in addition a social media network was introduced between the teachers and pupils to encourage participation, healthy eating, lifestyles and not to give up. As a result, the teaching staff in the Community College in Arklow have implemented a county wide fitness challenge & Now 9 secondary schools have taken up the challenge.
- It is hoped that this challenge will become a natural part of the secondary physical education programme and the students will see it as a way of life as opposed to something imposed on them once a week
- Wicklow hosts the Go for life Games . It is one of eight Counties that participates in the games and events are held throughout the county. The network of Older people spearhead this initiative and it is open to all older persons in the county
- Sport play an enormous part in the healthy lifestyles of the Community in Wicklow. However, much emphasis is placed on the ethos that sport is not just for the elite, The Wicklow Sport Partnership was set up in Wicklow to provide access to sports for all sectors of the community and not just those that can afford to pay
- The aim of Wicklow Local Sports Partnership is to increase participation in sport and physical activity throughout Co. Wicklow. The Local Sports Partnership provides support and assistance across a range of area’s such as Sports Development, Physical Activity Provision, Education and Training, Information Provision and Leadership & Management. This has brought sport to all sectors of society through participation, training, sport camps, junior sports camps and a Wicklow Sport Forum
- Inspired by faith and family, Katie Taylor blazed a trail for Irish sport and Irish women at the London Olympics. Katie from Bray, Co Wicklow has become not only a sporting hero but a role model for young people participating in sport, particularly women and overcoming adversity to achieve her goals in life through determination, faith and a supportive family & community
- In Wicklow the management of the County is managed through Wicklow County Council. Every six years a County Development plan is put together in direct consultation with the community of Wicklow. This County Development Plan is the central management document of the County. It is published every six years & sets out the vision, policies, strategies and objectives upon the principles of proper planning and sustainable development. It consists of a written statement and a plan or plans all of which indicate the development objectives of the county. The County development plans focus is on physical development and land use. This plan is supported through a ‘County Development Board’ whose strategic focus is on economic, social and cultural issues. The board has three sub groups that work on economic development, social inclusion and sustainable communities. Strategic plans for all sectors in the county are implemented; all with direct consultation with the community who through public meetings and presentations have the opportunity to provide input, suggestions and/or recommendations.
- The County Development plan is a complex document that must be cognisant of the National and Regional guidelines. This includes the National Spatial Strategy right through to Regional Planning Guidelines. Due to its proximity to Dublin, the towns of Bray and Greystones are now part of the greater Dublin area and as a result the development plan must take into context guidelines relating to the Dublin area
- The County Development plan buys into all the other strategies and particularly is cognisant of a sub level of Local Plans.
- The County settlement strategy sets out five different designations of towns in the County – metropolitan consolidation town, large growth towns, moderate growth towns and small growth towns. These designations closely match the Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area.
- A number of Local Area Plans and Town Plans and one District Plan have been, and will continue to be prepared and implemented by Wicklow County Council. While these plans must be consistent with the County Development Plan applicable at the time of adoption, the cycle of local plan review during the lifetime of the County Development Plan form a feedback loop which will feed into and inform the drafting of subsequent County Plans. Each Local plan must be as simple and clear as possible to the professionals and ordinary citizens who will use them, and to the Elected Members of the Council who must make and adopt these plans. They must be short, to the point, and follow a similar format. Any specific policies required for a particular town will be stated as precisely that, and in all cases will be consistent with the County Development Plan. Thus development standards will be the same across the entire County, and any differences for specific settlements would be clear and transparent, to both those adopting the plans, and the general public alike. Town Plans shall only include strategic objectives that are settlement specific and achievable, and avoid those that are aspirational.
- As the level of plan-making that is closest to local communities, either in urban or rural contexts, local area plans are based on effective public participation and consultation with interested bodies. This is effected by means of a range of innovative processes, such as information sessions, workshops, internet-based mechanisms and focus groups, in addition to the more usual written consultation process. Careful consideration is given to the timing of consultation events aimed at the community, for example at evening times, to ensure maximum public access to information about proposed local area plans. Social media is also a useful mechanism in spreading awareness of local area plan preparation processes. Contact to the public is accessed through normal media channels in addition to direct mailing, texts and e mails to organizations and their members
- Local area plans must contain a written statement and maps depicting the objectives of the plan. It is considered very important that the plan should be informed by a number of key strategies as listed above
- And so for all of these reasons we believe Wicklow is the most liveable community in the world – please join us on a journey through the County from sunrise to sunset and we are sure you will agree........