GOLEEN PARISH SWOT CHART STRENGTHS o Close-knit Community o Community Council (democratically elected) o Community Facilities o State of the Art Community Centre with Sports Hall and Pitch, Health Centre, 2 Parish Halls, Playschool, Health centre Goleen o Beautiful Landscape o Slips and Quays o Historical and Archaeological Sites: Churches, Mizen Head Bridge and Signal Station, Rock Island Lighthouse, Castles – 3 Castles, Dunmanus, Leamcon, Gun Point, Ancient sites – wedge tombs, cross slab, standing stones, Mining sites and buildings, Towers (O’Mahony, O’Driscoll and Napoleonic), Fish Palaces, Graveyards, Goleen Crossroads Fair, Crossroads Dancing Platform, Lowertown Replica Village, Dunbeacon Creamery Stand, Lissigriffin School Site, Building of the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse Memorial o Mizen Head Signal Station Visitor Centre o Barleycove Beach Pontoon and Dunes Interpretation o Beaches & Coves o Sheltered Bays and Harbours o Scenic Routes o Clean Air o Slow Pace of Life o No traffic jams o Holiday housing (rental for tax incentive) now sold to individual owners o Support from West Cork LEADER, Cork County Council o Rural Workers Scheme o Associations – ICA, IFA, Trotting, GAA, Soccer, Seniors, Community Care, Community Alert, Lowertown Development, Dunbeacon Action, Tidy Towns Committees – Dunbeacon, Lowertown, Toormore. 1 WEAKNESSES o Population declining o Lack of employment opportunities o Lack of workforce o Dependence on seasonal tourism o Decline of employment in agriculture o Too many regulations and inspections for agricultural enterprise o Inadequate infrastructure (water, sewerage) to enable development o Inadequate roads (most roads not wide enough to have a white line down the middle) o Poor broadband coverage (reliance on line of sight to Mount Gabriel by licensees and Eircom have no plans to upgrade Goleen exchange) o Poor mobile phone coverage o Difficulty of distance working without state of the art communications o Lack of incentives for entrepreneurial enterprise and business start ups o Inertia in the many inherited business (out of 7 pubs only two offer food (1 all year)) o Difficulty of attracting entrepreneurs to remote depopulated area o No available social housing o No serviced sites o No affordable housing o Inadequate car parking in key areas o Most employment seasonal o Little rental accommodation o Hotel developed with houses and apartments instead of amenities o No hostel o Two thirds of housing in parish holiday or second homes o Few B&Bs and restaurants o Planning permission refusals keep the price of housing and sites too high. o Lack of employment opportunities o Poor road access o Remoteness o SACs, SPAS, Chough Sites hinder agriculture and development o No car ferry from UK to Cork 2 o No direct flight to Cork Airport from USA and few direct flights to UK and Europe OPPORTUNITIES o All opportunities rely on increasing the year round population and housing stock o Public/Private partnerships for infrastructure and development projects o Serviced Sites Development in tourism o Underwater National Park (Mizen Head – Ballyrisode) see : http://www.johnpennekamp.com/about_history.html o Goleen Community Hostel o Mizen Way walking route to link in with Sheep’s Head Way at Durrus. (This would be ideal, but there is stiff opposition from land owners) o Walking routes using minor roads o Pet Farm o Pony Trekking o Water sports – boat, wind surfer etc hire o Diving facilities o Stocked lakes for fishing. (The lakes have not been stocked for years and Lissigriffin Lakes have silted up and need dredging) o Golf Course. (The nearest golf courses are Bantry and Skibbereen. The golf course at Barleycove is covered in sand) o Pitch & Putt o Hotel with full spa amenities o Improved Marina in Crookhaven o Busking (or music) festival out of season o Courses o More tourism accommodation Employment in enterprise o Goleen Sports Academy. o Letting and Maintenance Agency o Nursing Home and Sheltered Housing o Expansion of Rural Workers scheme and Fás o Broadband/Call centre/ distance working business development o Babysitting Service 3 o Hackney/Taxi o Garden Centre in Lowertown o Recycling o Construction of new homes o Variety of Shops and offices o Expansion and flexibility of Rural Workers Scheme o Expansion of Rural Transport o Distance working Diversification in Agriculture o Organic vegetable growing o Honey Production o Food production plant o Country Market in Goleen o Compost and Fuel from Slurry o Plants for Garden Centre o Elephant Grass Mischantus production o Grow reeds and rushes for thatch o Ethanol production from rapeseed o Pet farm o Pet kennels Social Inclusion o 4 more community care houses for seniors in addition to 4 existing o Social and Affordable Housing o Disability and Access programmes o Caring Peninsulas Project o Agricultural advice service o Child care o Rural Transport extended service o Warmer Homes Project o Outreach education (in Community and Resource Centre) o Resource Centre - Lowertown o Health Centre - Lowertown o Youth Centre Transport and Movement o Cork-Swansea Car Ferry essential o Secure future for Cork Airport. 4 o Extended Bus Eireann Expressway service from Cork-Goleen o Light rail from Cork City – Bandon – Bantry and Skibbereen (Ballydehob?) Phone and Go Rural Bus Service o Airport and longer runway for Bantry o Helipad for Goleen o Footpaths o Upgraded roads o Car parking Energy and Telecommunications o Full coverage of Broadband is needed o Fibre optic cable o Eircom exchange upgraded in Goleen to provide broadband o Full mobile phone coverage o 3G Supply o Tidal energy. o Geothermal energy in new homes o Energy saving house grants o Biomass o Wind power 5 THREATS o Inadequate Infrastructure – water, sewerage not provided fast enough o Slow provision of infrastructure inhibits developers o Developers do not proceed with projects o Downturn in property market o Downturn in economy o Planning refusals prevent population growth o Population continues to decline o Planning application refusals keep land and house prices too high o No major employment opportunity – such as nursing home which would employ 40 people. o Social and Affordable Housing not provided o Lack of flexibility in administration of SPAs, SACs, Chough Sites and Scenic Routes o No road upgrading o State of the art communications not provided – no full broadband or mobile phone coverage or 3G o No incentives for business start ups o No training for leadership and community development o Rural Workers Scheme not expanded and made more flexible. o No Cork-Swansea Ferry o No direct flight from USA o No growth in direct flights to Cork Airport 6 .