RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• Heritage from the water in association with the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board • Clare Heritage Map Viewer • Heritage Information Provision

Biodiversity The Planning Department completed fourteen Clare Biodiversity projects in 2021. These projects were funded by the National Biodiversity Action Plan fund from the National Parks and Wildlife Service with co-funding from Clare County Council. These projects included: • Rare, threatened, and characteristic plants of the Burren and the Aran Islands – This determined the current distribution, abundance and conservation status of rare, threatened and characteristic plants of the Burren and the Aran Islands. • Developing a monitoring approach for the future survey work at Fanore Dunes • Wetland/pond creation as part of the Hares Corner in association with Burrenbeo Trust • Orchards project creation as part of the Hares Corner in association with Burrenbeo Trust and Irish Seed Savers Association • Wild Beehives and Training Project, Irish Seed Savers Association • Biodiversity Site Recording, Irish Seed Savers Association • Alien Invasive Species training, Clare Local Development Company • Alien Invasive Species eradication equipment purchase for communities, Clare Local Development Company • Alien Invasive Species eradication, Municipal District Offices, Ennis, Killaloe, Shannon and West Clare MD. • Clare County Council Biodiversity Manual, editing and design • Shannon Biodiversity Family Fun Day as part of Heritage Week

Property Management (D10) The Property Management Unit has as our primary objective ensuring that the corporate and business needs of the Council are fully met by our property portfolio. This includes the acquisition, refurbishment and maintenance of property to meet our needs.

A second priority is the identification and classification of properties and land owned by the Council and perfecting title with the Property Registration Authority of Ireland. The objective of having an economic use of our assets has resulted in number of further leases and licenses being granted during 2021 and this will continue in 2022. Many of these are to community groups, which supports the work of the Rural Development Directorate.

In addition, the Team work closely with the Department of Education to identify sites for new schools. There is active engagement and progress being made in relation to a number of schools: new Gaelscoil Donnacha Rua for Shannon (which is now at planning stage), land for

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a new Gaelscoil in Kilrush (where the site acquired is being master planned) and for a new primary school in Ennis (where the Department have are due to conclude their deliberations on site selection).

A number of exciting capital projects were completed in 2021, including the refurbishment of the County Museum in Ennis and others are underway or planned, as detailed in the Section 135 report.

The Adopted budget provides for the management of the corporate buildings at a number of locations. This includes building management systems, improvement works, waste management and cleaning, utilities and security. As a result of COVID-19, the standards of our buildings have to be maintained to a very high level and the budget provides for the costs for the additional cleaning and sanitisation required. Improvement works are also carried out as required and the Budget provides for a rolling programme of works. An area of focus in 2022 and going forward will be energy efficiency and improving the energy rating of public buildings.

Casual Trading (H07) During 2021, a process of consultation concluded and the 2021 Casual Trading Bye-Laws were adopted by each Municipal District. The levels of trading activity were reduced in 2021 due to COVID-19 and while there has been an increase in activity since May 2021, it is difficult to predict the level of activity in 2022.

Derelict Sites (E10) The Council welcomes the focus at national level on the vacant and derelict properties in the country and it is now well recognised that there is significant potential for re-development of such properties. This is not to say that there will not be challenges and in dealing with derelict sites, we come across many issues to be resolved. However, with time and effort, working with owners and other departments, there are options for positive re-development and revitalisation of many such derelict sites.

Our focus is on engagement with owners and financial institutions, and we have seen some positive response to this approach. The level of activity in Derelict Sites has greatly increased since the function passed to the Economic Directorate This is evidenced by the table below.

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Inspections are being carried out on new complaints with reports prepared recommending actions to be taken. The team is focused on engaging with owners to develop solutions for bringing sites and properties back into economic use and thus contribute in a positive way to towns and villages. The level of activity in this area will take account of the current economic situation due to COVID-19 and the resources of the team while trying to address complaints from the public.

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RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The Rural Development Directorate comprises five business areas as follows: Tourism, Cliffs of Moher, Rural and Community, Digital and Broadband and West Clare Municipal District.

Tourism Following adoption of the Clare Tourism Strategy entitled ‘Guiding our Journey to a Vibrant New Future in Tourism’ in autumn 2020, 2021 was the first full year of implementation of the Strategy.

The County Clare Tourism Strategy 2030 is intended to guide County Clare’s Tourism Assets and to work closely with the tourism trade /industry. The access of visitors through Shannon Airport is a key pillar of the Strategy. The Council is leading on the development of flagship tourism products in order to spread the benefits of tourism in a sustainable way to local towns and villages. This Strategy took full account of the unprecedented scale the COVID-19 crisis had on the Tourism Industry. The Council is now planning for the return of international visitors post-COVID. It is acknowledged that tourism will be a key driver of our economic growth so having a long-term strategy is now more important than ever. The 2030 vision is for Clare to be a globally renowned sustainable and vibrant destination recognised for its community and cultural assets as well as its stunning and open space landscapes.

Tourism Grants In 2021 various tourism grants became available nationally and Clare County Council worked with Fáilte Ireland and other stakeholders to administer the funding to businesses in County Clare that were struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These included the Outdoor Dining grants for wet and dry pubs as well as grants for festivals etc. Other grants emerging during 2021 included the Beach Facilities Grant with design and planning beginning in late 2021. The tourism grants area is likely to expand in 2022.

Tourism Product Development (D05) In 2021, with the assistance of RRDF grant funding the Tourism Department progressed the following tourism product development to include: • Loophead Lighthouse • Inis Cealtra • Vandeleur Walled Gardens

In conjunction with Fáilte Ireland, the department on a cross-directorate basis progressed the Burren Discovery Trail; Tourism Destination Town funding investment for Ennistymon. These works and installations will be completed in early 2022.

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With a strategic partnership with Fáilte Ireland, the Tourism Department are represented on the working group of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience Development Plan as well as the West Clare/North Kerry Destination Experience Development Plan.

Strategic Marketing Plan 2021 The Tourism Department placed strong emphasis on a Strategic Marketing Plan during 2020 for domestic visitors to help minimise the impact of the downturn on businesses due to COVID-19.

Whilst shaping the “Visit Clare” marketing approach in the context of COVID-19, it was known that 2020 and 2021 were likely to be the most difficult years for tourism. The Council’s Tourism department has taken a proactive approach to marketing during the lock-down phases. An example of this is ‘Lets Share Clare with the World’ which was launched with the ‘Dream of Clare’ video.

Following this, blog infrastructure was built for the Visit Clare website so that all promotional resources for Clare was shared with the tourism trade. This encouraged good collaboration between Tourism Department and the local Tourism Industry. The process for tendering for an upgraded Clare Tourism Website began in 2021.

Focusing on the domestic market, the Tourism Department led out on national, regional and local marketing campaigns to promote Clare. In addition, Clare was also promoted through the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands brands of the Fáilte Ireland Marketing campaigns.

Significant investment took place during 2021 to capture a substantial volume of imagery around Clare for future sharing and encouragement of stay-cationing in Clare at a time that is safe to do so. Research continues where the business is likely to come from into the future, what profiles of visitors will travel, and marketing is being planned accordingly.

Clare Tourism Forum The Clare Tourism Recovery Taskforce was convened and met regularly during 2021. The establishment of the taskforce was a tactical response to guide the reactivation of the Clare Tourism Destination following the closure to visitors as a result of COVID-19. The taskforce comprises key stakeholders that manage the Clare Tourism destination. A new structure, with representation from Elected Members joining the tourism industry representatives, emerged in 2021. It is now known as Clare Tourism Forum.

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Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark During 2021, the team implemented recommendations from the previous years review of the Code of Practice for Sustainable Tourism Development with a view to enhancing its efficient application for the businesses signed up through the Burren Ecotourism Network.

Aligned to the criteria as set out for the UNESCO Accreditation, this team also progressed the development of a monitoring system for sites and trails within the Geopark as well as progressed a Heritage Map Viewer for the Burren Geopark. Education, Research and Online training is a continuous programme of work for Burren Geopark team.

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience The Council engaged on a very comprehensive community consultation process as part of the preparation of a Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040. The Strategy aims to complete a visitor management strategy and site master plan for the facility along with progressing design for a significant package of critical physical and systems infrastructure. These will contribute to the overall Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040. At the core of the Strategy will be a focus on sustainable tourism development and spreading the benefits to the Clare economy with local towns and villages benefitting significantly from new mobility plans and visitor upgrades to increase visitor dwell time in the county.

The Council responded to a number of legal challenges relating to the Cliffs of Moher over the past number of years with significant judgements in the councils favor being received during 2021. In all cases the High Court and Court of Higher Appeal found in favor of Clare County Council and its management of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience. This is a very solid legal base upon which the Council will seek to integrate the Cliffs of Moher of Moher tourism product offering with the hinterland.

COVID-19 has had a severe impact in visitor numbers in the absence of international visitors. The focus for 2021 will be on the domestic market. Visitor management and environmental conservation will continue to be managed closely. The Board will continue to provide guidance and governance over policy and key strategic aims for the site.

Shannon Heritage Due Diligence Project. Following discussions at Government level, Clare County Council was invited in 2021 to commence a Due Diligence process on the proposed transfer of Shannon Heritage company from its current parent of Shannon Group to Clare County Council as the new parent. The Due Diligence will be ongoing in 2022. It involves an analysis of all aspects of the Shannon Heritage visitor operations at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Knappogue, Craggaunowen and the company’s Gift Shop at the Cliffs of Moher. The process includes legal and financial analysis as well as property surveys and engagement with staff of Shannon Heritage company who have decades of visitor experience and skills. Positive communication channels have begun in

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