2018 Application Form

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Dept. Use Only Application Reference No

APPLICATION FORM

Tipperary County Council Lead Eligible Applicant:

River Ara ( Town) Walking Project Name: Trail

Please indicate under which Measure funding is being applied for: Measure Details Place an X in the appropriate box 1. Small Scale Maintenance/Promotion and Marketing

2. Medium Scale Repair/Upgrade and New Trail X Development 3. Large Scale Repair/Upgrade and New Strategy Trail Development

Total cost of project: €250,000

Amount of Funding sought in this application: €200,000

Lead applicant primary contact: Michael Moroney

Contact email address: [email protected]

Postal Address: Community & Economic Development,

Ballingarrane House, Road, , Co. Tipperary

Office phone number: 0761 06 6218

Mobile phone number: 087 7773770

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Local Organisation Details, if applicable: Please include contact name and details, including email and mobile contact number.

Aidan Finn, Senior Executive Engineer/Cashel-Tipperary District Engineer, [email protected], 087-2886917

1. Lead Applicant FINANCIAL DETAILS: Lead Applicant VAT No.: 3259712MH Tax Registration Number: 3259712MH Tax Clearance Access Number: 796135 CHY Number (if applicable): N/A

2. Detailed Costings for Proposed Project Please provide a detailed breakdown of all elements of the proposed works including any administration/other fees/costs: (itemise various elements) €

Fencing €80,000

Earthworks €50,000

Footways €100,000

Landscaping €20,000

TOTAL COST €250,000

Funding amount sought: (Max of 80% of Total €200,000 cost up to the Measure limit)

Match Funding: (at least 20% of Total €50,000 Cost/Max grant) of which – up to 15% may be “in-kind”: €0

With minimum Cash €50,000 contribution of 5% Please outline the Nature and source of “in-kind” contributions:

3. Has funding for this project been sought from other sources? Yes No (If "YES" yes please specify from what source and the up to date position with those applications)

Funding of €7,000 was awarded from Development Company to Tipperary Chamber of Commerce under the terms of the Rural Development Programme for the design of the walking route;

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4. Was funding provided for this project, or a different phase of this project under the Outdoor Recreation Scheme 2016 and/or 2017? Yes No (If "YES" please provide information on amount of funding provided, amount expended and status of project e.g. completion date and confirmation that final funding has been drawn down.)

5. Please list all project stakeholders/community partners involved in this project i.e. LDC, Local Authority, Community group, etc. and outline their ongoing involvement in the project. The Stakeholders involved in this project are Cashel-Tipperary Municipal District Office of Tipperary County Council, Abbey CBS School (landowner), Tipperary Chamber of Commerce (TIRD), Birdwatch , Local Angling Club and Tipperary Tidy Towns.

A Working Group has been established to progress this project with members from Council, Local Authority Water and Communities Office, Birdwatch Ireland and Tipperary Tidy Towns Committee.

Tipperary County Council will be responsible for maintaining the riverside walkway.

6. Outline and attach evidence of the project’s compliance with the scheme, relevance to plans – County Development Plan, LECP, NPF, etc. Compliance with the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme This project complies with the definition of "Countryside Recreation" which highlights recreational and holiday pursuits based on use of resources of the countryside which contribute to healthy active lifestyles. The project is eligible under Measure 2 – development of new walkways infrastructure.

The proposed project is consistent with and supports a number of strategies and plans.

 Tipperary County Council Corporate Plan 2015-2019 The Tipperary County Council Corporate Plan 2015-2019 established a vision for the County and sets out key priorities over the lifetime of the Plan, is strong in promotion and enhancement of the Council's natural environment. It also refers to "development of a green infrastructure which provides an attractive place to live in, work and spend leisure time, providing benefits for health and opportunities for formal and informal recreation."

 Tipperary Town & Environs Development Plan 2013-2019 A policy objective of the Plan is Policy Architectural Heritage No 5 Walk: “It is the policy of the Council to engage with the relevant stakeholders in order to complete the River Ara Walk.”

 The River Ara is included as an Area for Action in the River Basin Management Plan 2018 -2021

 Get Ireland Walking Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2020 Prepared by Sport Ireland, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Mountaineering Ireland, this plan provides a blueprint for the promotion of walking in Ireland.

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 Tipperary Strategic Tourism Marketing, Experience & Destination Development Plan 2016- 2021 Prepared by Tipperary County Council & Tipperary Tourism Company, Tipperary Town is situated in and a key component in the Munster Vales area, a new primary tourism destination straddling the Tipperary, & Cork borders. Under the “Destination Development” pillar, the Plan prioritises the enhancement of key towns with particular attention to presentation and orientation; this project will be key improvement in Tipperary Town.

Green & Blue Infrastructure Masterplan Roadmap for Tipperary Waterways As part of its involvement in the EU INTERREG EUROPE part-funded SWARE (Sustainable heritage management of WAterway REgions) project, in 2017 Tipperary County Council developed a Green & Blue Infrastructure Masterplan Roadmap for Tipperary Waterways. This study provided the opportunity for green and blue infrastructure to be strategically positioned and managed within an integrated approach to planning and links land-use, landscape, services, ecology, heritage, tourism, etc. The Roadmap specifically identifies this project (no. 66) stating, “Support the River Ara Project which proposes to connect existing walking routes with new routes creating a valuable amenity for the community visitors alike.”

 Tipperary Sports Partnership Strategic Plan 2018 There are five strategic objectives outlined in the Tipperary Sports Partnership Strategic Plan 2018. This project is aligned with: o Strategic Objective No. 2: Sustainable Infrastructure-Assist in the greater use of the existing natural and built infrastructure where it addresses a clear need and is multi use and accessible.

 A Strategy for a Healthy Tipperary 2018-2020 This recently adopted Strategy has a number of strategic priorities and actions which this project supports, including: o Priority 1: Physical Activity and Amenities – encourage the people of Tipperary to become more physically active and ensure that the amenities are in place that will support this to happen; o Action 4.1: Rejuvenation of towns and village centres.

Local Economic and Community Plan 2015-2020 The key objective of the Local Economic and Community Plan 2015 - 2020 (LECP) is to promote a more integrated and targeted approach to addressing social and community issues. The proposed project seeks to deliver on a number of high level priorities and strategic actions of the LECP including, Action E1.6b "Identification, promotion and support of specific themes of tourism development which build in Tipperary’s inherent strengths...... including outdoor activities around the Munster Vales.....”.

 National Development Plan Project 2040 There are 10 Strategic Outcomes identified in the National Development Plan Project 2040. This project is aligned with Strategic Outcome No. 3 - "Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities" and Strategic Outcome No. 7 – “Enhanced Amenity & Heritage”. A specific priority listed under Strategic Outcome No. 3 is "to enhance and improve Ireland's outdoor recreation infrastructure and natural heritage".

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7. Synopsis of Project: (maximum of 500 words). A detailed project proposal may be appended to this application (maximum 5 Pages, up to 10 pages for projects in excess of €100k)

This project proposes to link Abbey Street to Glenview Square via a river walk along the banks of the River Ara. Tipperary in Irish is “Tiobraid Árann” meaning “The Well of Ara”, a reference to the river that flows through the town and on which the town was built. The river is very much to the centre of the town but it is also a much under-utilised resource for the town, its people and visitors.

River Ara View from Link Road/Abbey Street The proposal aims to interlink the amenities of the town centre with the natural beauty of the River Ara as it meanders away from town in a southerly direction towards the Woods. The walking route will provide a much need social amenity to the town of Tipperary for its residents, locals from the environs and visitors to the town linking in with existing walking routes in the town. This proposal will provide two loop walks both incorporating the Ara walk. The proposed river walk, which is 800 metres approximately, is shown in red on the aerial photograph below, this will link in with existing walking routes in town, on the Bansha Road (yellow loop) and also on the Station Road (blue loop).

Aerial Photograph of the Area

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This project aims to provide  Walkway along the river bank;  Seating areas;  Natural playground;  River Window;  Area for Educational Sampling/Outdoor Classroom area;  Protection of natural wetland;  Biodiversity Awareness Development/Bug Hotels;  Appropriate fencing, lighting and landscaping on the route.

The river has a natural wetland habitat where an array of unique biodiversity can be found, even with draining it has managed to retain the spices associated with a wetland ecosystem. Areas such as this are not often found in urban settings and provide unique Pedestrian Entrance to Abbey CBS educational opportunities for all.

The river forms a national setting for education for the local community and visitors about local biodiversity and the valuable ecological services it provides. A preliminary site assessment of the local biodiversity conducted by Tipperary County Council has found an array of flora and fauna in their natural habitat.

This project (draft proposal pictured on the next page) will be subject to the planning process pursuant to part 8 of the Planning & Development Regulations 2001 as amended. This will allow full consultation with all interested members of the public. It is anticipated that this will be completed by Quarter 1 of 2019.

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Visual Illustration of what Draft Proposal for River Ara Walk will ultimately look like

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8. Please outline the value of the project for the local area, explaining the rationale for the choice:

Gateway to the Galtees, Tipperary Town lies in the superb scenic surroundings of the “”, just 4 miles from the beautifully secluded . There are 2 national loop walks trail heads in the Glen of Aherlow – Christ the King and Lisvarrinane Village along with 8 loop walks ranging from half an hour to 4 hours round trip. Tipperary Town forms part of the Munster Vales, an Christ the King Statue overlooking Glen of Aherlow inland tourism destination linking the counties of Waterford, Tipperary, Cork and Limerick and everything in between. Tipperary Town has been affected badly by the economic downturn with many vacant properties on the Main Street. It has also been adversely affected by the daily volumes of traffic including heavy goods vehicle as they travel the N24. Both of these factors have hindered the growth and potential of Tipperary Town. The enhancement of amenities in the town centre is a key priority for this Council and its members.

Tipperary Town is a RAPID designated urban centre. It has suffered significant job losses and lack of investment for decades. It is a market town, traditionally having depended on the agricultural hinterland to support commerce and retail activity. Today, due to a lack of industry and commerce, the town is still largely dependent on the farming community for its survival.

A publication from the CSO regarding Census of Population 2016 results identified that Tipperary Town contained one of the two unemployment blackspots at ED level in County Tipperary. An unemployment blackspot is where the unemployment rate (on a Principal Economic Status basis) exceeded 27 per cent.

This project will increase the attractiveness of the town for both the people living in the town and its many visitors; improve pedestrian connectivity; and improve vitality and viability in and around the town centre.

9. Please outline, if relevant, the strategic and collaborative nature of the project: This project aims to install a new, safe well maintained walking route in the centre Tipperary Town. This project has long been an aim of the Council, having been included in the Tipperary Town & Environs Development Plan 2013-2019 as a policy objective. This walk has the potential to be linked, in the future, to the Glen of Aherlow walks. This has the potential to be very attractive to walkers of various levels.

The project will also link to and complement streetscape improvements completed on Kickham Street which were funded under the terms of the Town & Village Renewal Scheme 2016. These have provided the development of an attractive, pedestrian friendly spine area from the town centre to the River Ara.

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Walking is the most popular form of physical activity in Ireland. The 2015 Irish Sports Monitor which surveyed over 8,500 respondents found that 64.8% took part in recreational walking. Sport Ireland recently launched the Get Ireland Walking Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2020. Recreational walking is a low impact activity that can provide significant health benefits. In order for people to go walking in our urban and rural areas, they need access to safe walking routes. It is evident across the county and country where routes are available to recreational walkers they are extremely well utilised. This project will achieve this objective. Objective 5.4 of this plan is “Create opportunities for improved access to land for recreational walking”

This project is very much a collaborative, community- driven project and is being progressed with the assistance of Tipperary County Council, Local Authority Water and Communities Office, Birdwatch Ireland, Abbey CBS and Tipperary Tidy Towns Committee. Kickham Street Plaza

10. For projects under Measures 2 and 3 in particular. What is the overall objective of the proposed project and how will the intended outcomes be measured? (Please identify any metrics or benchmarks that will be applied). The objectives of this project is to:  Offer a new safe walking route along the river side in town;  Improve the tourist offering to visitors to Tipperary;  Improved vibrancy and footfall in and around Tipperary Town centre;  Provide a safe, level, well maintained walking route adjacent to the town centre.

The outcomes will be measured through the following:-  Ongoing liaison with the local Business Association and Tourist Office to establish economic activity and footfall.  Increased visitor numbers which can be ascertained through consultation with the Tourist Office and local accommodation providers.  Increased usage of the walkway which can be monitored by the Council's Supervisor.

11. Please outline, where ongoing maintenance arising from the project will be necessary, how this will this be provided for: The maintenance of the public areas of this walking route will be maintained by Tipperary County Council.

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12. Please give details of all permissions and/or approvals required in order to complete the project and provide evidence that such permissions and/or approvals have been obtained. Where any such requirements have not as yet been obtained please give full details regarding the current position: This project will be subject to the planning process pursuant to part 8 of the Planning & Development Regulations 2001 as amended. This will allow full consultation with all interested members of the public. It is anticipated that this will be completed by Quarter 1 of 2019.

The lands at the river, and on which the walk will be situated, are in the ownership of Edmund Rice Schools Trust, owners of the Abbey Secondary School. Approval is currently being sought from the Edmund Rice Schools Trust and Department of Education for acquiring the lands and following positive meetings with the school, a decision is due on this shortly.

13. Please outline how this project will provide value for money: The overall objective is to revitalise Tipperary town centre and include connectivity to the River in the centre of town. The project will:  Add a much needed community amenity to the town centre of Tipperary which will be available to all in the community  Fulfil a key policy objective of Tipperary Town & Environs Development Plan 2013-2019 of “to complete the River Ara walk”  Continue the work of enhancing Tipperary Town Centre – the Council has an overall plan to upgrade the area from the Excel on Mitchell Street down through the centre of town through Kickham Street which has been upgraded and connecting down to the River Ara area  The walkway will attract tourists and local visitors to the town which provide a much needed economic benefit to the town

14. If relevant, please give a brief outline of the tendering process planned/carried out in order to ensure compliance with Public Procurement Guidelines: The Tendering Process will be carried out in accordance with Tipperary County Council’s Procurement Procedure Guidelines for Goods/Services/Consultants/Works.

15. Please give detailed breakdown of project timelines including commencement, indicative stage commencement and completion dates (insert additional rows as required): Indicative Date: Brief description of work to be completed:

Commencement: October 2018 Part 8 Planning Process to commence Stage 1 date: February 2019 Part 8 to be completed Stage 2 date: March 2019 Works to commence Completion date: October 2019 Works to be completed

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DECLARATION

I hereby confirm that I have read and understand the Scheme Outline and this document and declare that the particulars supplied in this application are true and correct. I request that assistance be given in support of the project as outlined and certify that, if made, the funding will be solely for the purpose for which it is approved. I hereby undertake to ensure the delivery of any project funded under this Scheme to comply with the terms of the Scheme as outlined in the Scheme Outline and in line with the particulars set out in this application, except with the express agreement of the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Signature

Position Administrative Officer, Community & Economic Development

Date 20th July 2018

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