Initial submission to the Local Economic & Community Plan

Galway City Community Network has made an initial submission on the development of the Local Economic and Community Plan for Galway City

The submission states that Galway City Community Network welcomes the opportunity to make this initial submission on the development of the Local Economic and Community Plan for Galway City and GCCN looks forward to working with the LECP Advisory Committee and Galway City Council to develop the LECP and will be happy to offer all the support that we can provide.

In supporting the development of the LECP, Galway City Community Network propose that the following need to be embedded in the processes for developing the Local Economic and Community Plan.

Parity
  • Galway City Community Network believe that equal attention needs to be focused on the community elements as the economic elements of the LECP;
  • Equal and adequate resources need to be committed to the community elements of the LECP as to the economic elements.
Social/Economic/Social Inclusion
  • A definition of Social Inclusion should underpin the LECP;
  • The economic and community elements of the plan should be regarded as two sides of the same coin. We wish for a focus on the socio-economic elements of the Plan
Participation/Consultation/Engagement
  • Target groups must be explicitly named;
  • In developing strategies and actions, the interests of minorities must be protected;
  • All actions should be anti-poverty and equality proofed with measurable targets, outcomes;
  • Strategies and actions must not be tokenistic – they need to be measurable and outcome focused;
  • We urge consultation with communities and representative organisations in relation to the both elements of the Plan – community and economic.
  • There needs to be an inter-agency commitment to resources required;
  • Representative organisations should be allowed to define appropriate approaches to consultation with their communities;
  • The participation of a diverse range of groups and communities should be considered;
  • Participation needs to be defined and meaningful and needs to regard the community, voluntary and environmental sectors as partners in the process of developing a plan for Galway City;
  • Participation and engagement of the community, voluntary and environmental sectors must be at all stages of LECP development;
  • The right to participate should be an underpinning principle of the LECP consultation process;
Community Impact
  • The effect of the plan on local communities must be made clear. Communities should benefit directly and indirectly from actions.
Feedback
  • We are seeing assurance that issues raised and actions suggested will be given due consideration. We request that feedback is given for actions that are not included;
  • We request a scheduled series of updates on the implementation of the LECP.
General
  • We would ask you to be aware that there is a lot of information already collated and many communities can experience consultation fatigue if there are constantly being asked what the issues are without seeing progress. Previous consultations should be taken account of and used as a starting point.

To download the initial submission on the development of the Local Economic & Community Plan please click here