Town Regeneration Officer

Description:

The Town Centre First policy provided a set of guiding principles and an overarching framework for local government. It is a welcome initiative and one which strategically aligns with the policies and work programmes of Cork County Council and its ongoing commitment to ensuring the organisation maximises opportunities for positive impacts on town development in a multi-faceted way.

The TCF policy recognises that each town is different, and that each local authority will need to respond to the size, needs, and ambition of the programme at a local level. Cork County Council is an organisation equivalent to multiple county councils in one. Its scale, reach and ambition, lead to it being one where its effective operation relies on a high level of co-ordination and co-operation across multiple functional areas. While the approach nationally through the TCF policy is to seek the appointment of one Town Regeneration Officer (TRO) for each local authority, the necessity to develop further beyond that in Cork County Council will be determined by the pace of ambition nationally and the increased focus, ambition, and success in this area locally.

The role of the TRO will be to support the establishment and ongoing work of Town Teams, ensuring development and delivery on the Town Centre First Plan alongside local champions. They will be a vital link between the Town Teams, the expertise within the Local Authority and other organisations, and will facilitate the Town Teams in accessing funding, delivering on projects and supporting implementation at a local a level. The TRO will be expected to develop a broad, detailed understanding of the varied challenges facing the regeneration of Irish towns and what instruments and supports are available to address those challenges. Ultimately, the TRO will need to ensure that the TCF programme becomes an inclusive participatory process through active participation of the County Council’s, local Town Teams, property owners, business community, elected members and government agencies.