An ambitious community development programme for Tramore, described as the first of its kind in Ireland, was announced this week.
The plan, which has been in preparation for two years, provides a blueprint for the rapidly expanding coastal town to develop in a sustainable way.
The plan points out that, while housing development in Tramore is booming, there has been no corresponding increase in social, retail, commercial and industrial development. It aims to address this by improving the quality of life for people who live there while raising the town's profile for others.
If that sounds aspirational, the chairwoman of Tramore Development Trust, Ms Anne Harpur, said it was a conscious decision to allow the plan to evolve over a long period and to encourage the public to participate. The trust will oversee its implementation.
"This plan is the result of extensive public consultation, so we as a group felt we couldn't dictate every detail. It has to come from the ground up.
"The mission statement is to bring vibrancy back to the town centre and to encourage community spirit and involvement in the town's development," she said.
Ms Harpur, an architect who lives in the town, was a member of a small group called Arcart which set the idea of rejuvenating Tramore in motion in early 1999. The group later became Tramore Development Trust.
Although the trust is an independent, voluntary organisation, it has secured the support of 18 partner organisations including Waterford County Council, An Garda Siochana, the South Eastern Health Board and Waterford Crystal.
While Arcart was particularly focused on re-energising the town centre, the project has expanded over the past two years to cover all aspects of community development. Three public meetings were held during its formation. Measures agreed include enhancing the role of older people in town activities, providing more facilities for young people, fostering local enterprise, improving traffic, promoting social inclusion and protecting the environment.
The plan is based on a model provided by another partner in the project, the Scotland-based Corrom Trust which has advised on similar community plans elsewhere. "They have worked with communities to establish where a town wants to go and galvanise it into action," said Ms Harpur.
"It's a new direction for Ireland. Rather than a local authority focusing on a community and imposing decisions, this is coming from the ground up. But it won't work unless we have the backing of the people, which is why it is important to have so many partners on board."
While a lot of preparation has gone into making the plan, the real work begins now, said the trust's secretary, Mr John Smiles. "The plan sets out seven strategic themes, so now instead of people talking about what should be done, we have a means of advancing the different projects.
"A lot of people have come into Tramore to live and a plan like this says `Here's a community that's active', which they can get involved with, and it tells people where they can go to do this. It's better to light the candle than curse the darkness, so let's hope we can light a few candles," he said.
The overall aim is to build on the town's strengths, including its attractive location on a steep hill with dramatic views of Tramore Bay. "The famous beach combined with the sand dunes and cliffs at either side of the bay form a unique natural asset offering huge environmental possibilities for our community," the plan says.
But while most of the objectives are long term, some measures have been identified for immediate attention including sewage treatment, refuse disposal and facilities for young people.
Details of the plan were given at a public meeting in the town on Monday. Ms Bridget Power is full-time enterprise and development officer of the trust, which is at 11 Queen Street and can be contacted at 051-393833, or e-mail tramoretrust@eircom.net
