In partnership with the Local Authorities and local communities, Shannon Development is pioneering a new rural town renewal initiative and has begun construction work on Ireland’s first E-Town in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, a €4 million investment by the development company.
“In developing E-Towns we are setting out to create infrastructure ahead of demand. We have developed a new model for enhancing enterprise development in the smaller communities in the Shannon Region. The primary aim of this pioneering approach is to enable people to achieve a Live/Work balance in tailor-made accommodation, create clusters of businesses and bring new economic activity back into local communities”, said Kevin Thompstone, chief executive, Shannon Development, who addressed the conference on the challenges and opportunities facing smaller communities in sustaining and growing economic development.
Shannon Development invited Mr. Dwelly, Director of Live Work Network, the UK's national information service on live/work property, to address the conference and give the UK perspective on working from home which has been popular in the UK for some time and is growing in popularity in the US.
“New figures from the US Small Business Administration reveal that home-based businesses are generating more than $530bn each year in turnover. The SBA also reports that at 52%, just over half of small US businesses are run from home”, said Mr. Dwelly.
Commending Shannon Development on their new Miltown Malbay E-Towns initiative, Mr. Dwelly said, “Live/work is vital to making sure villages are 'alive' during the day, and something which is endorsed in a joint manifesto just published by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, and social housing's trade body, the UK National Housing Federation (NHF). To have a dynamic rural economy, we need homes and jobs in our villages and towns”, he said.
“In 2002 over 50% of the Irish population living in urban centres had access to the Internet, compared with less than 20% in rural areas. The E-Towns project has been designed to address this and other issues by strengthening the underlying knowledge fabric of the rural economy”, said Dr. Brian Callanan, Shannon Development another speaker at the conference.
The Shannon Development designed E-Towns project incorporates physical development, as well facilitating town planning, Broadband access, community based animation and training to help create an alternative enterprise culture in the community. In Miltown Malbay 12 member of the community completed a 6-month course in Web Authoring and as Community Trainers. This now ensures that the Community can play a real and active part in all technology aspects of the project.
In addition to the Miltown Malbay E-Town, Shannon Development is also working with 3 other designated E-Towns locations – Tarbert in Co. Kerry, Cappamore, Co. Limerick and Newport, Co. Tipperary. Shannon Development selected these locations in consultation with the local authority in each county. Shannon Development is also appraising future potential locations for similar projects, and anticipates that there will be further significant investment in additional E-Towns around the Shannon Region.
“Shannon Development believes that the E-Towns initiative we are pioneering here in the Shannon Region has the potential to be replicated nationally, and we are delighted with the interest in our conference. We see it as a mechanism for us to share what we have learned with others across the country and in particular with the representative from over 22 local authorities who are attending our conference”, said Mr. Thompstone.
“As a regional development company – Shannon Development’s role is to ensure that all parts of the region are developed to their optimal potential. Over the years we have developed products tailored to the needs of specific towns and communities”, said Mr. Thompstone. For information on live/work E-Towns project in Miltown Malbay please visit www.etowns.ie
Nandi O’Sullivan
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