Annual Conference 2009

Ms. Lisa McAllister, CEO, WDC, Mr. Kieran Moylan, Assistant Director, BMW Regional Assembly, Mr. Frank Dawson, County Manager, Roscommon County Council, Cllr. Tom Crosby, Cathaoirleach, BMW Regional Assembly, Mr. Michael Finneran TD, Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, Cllr. Michael McGreal, Mayor, Roscommon County Council, Dr. Edgar Morgenroth, Associate Research Professor, Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI)and Mr. Niall Cussen, Senior Planning Adviser, Spatial Policy Unit, Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government

BMW Conference reviews the National Spatial Strategy

Delegates at the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) Regional Assembly’s Annual Conference in Roscommon Town (Wednesday April 2nd, 2009), were informed that successful regions need attractive and vibrant cities in order to improve the region’s competitive advantages.

In his opening address, Councillor Tom Crosby, Chairman of the BMW Assembly, highlighted the importance of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) as a framework for delivering regional development and called on all levels of Government and Government agencies to ensure that the NSS and the Regional Planning Guidelines are fully implemented in order to achieve these objectives. Councillor Crosby called on the Government to reinstate the currently deferred €300m Gateway Innovation Fund which has the potential to stimulate economic activity in all the designated Gateway towns and cities.

Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Michael Finneran TD in his keynote address emphasised the importance of the NSS and stated that it required co-ordinated investment by all a range of Government Departments and Agencies in order to be implemented fully. He stated that the NSS is shaping policy and investment and is a key influencer of County and local area development plans. The Minister also stressed the need for an all-island approach in order to address the tough economic challenges facing the island as a whole. He informed the conference that a review and refresh of the NSS is underway.

Associate Research Professor of the ESRI, Dr. Morgenroth provided details on the economic performance of the regions since the inception of the NSS. He highlighted the modest gains made as a result of the NSS and emphasized that investing in people was the way forward for regional development. Dr. Morgenroth reiterated the important strategic role that R&D investment can play in developing Ireland’s economy.

Mr. Niall Cussen, Senior Planning Adviser, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government outlined what has been achieved under the National Spatial Strategy in the past 7 years and identified future challenges. These challenges include the need to rebuild competitiveness at regional level, improve planning and prioritisation of investment; and integrate sustainability into transport and land-use planning in Ireland. He also welcomed the work done by the Assemblies’ in development of the Gateway Development Index.

Mr. Hubert Kearns, Sligo County Manager informed the conference that enhancing the attractiveness and competitiveness of the Gateways was key to economic prosperity. He outlined the experiences of Sligo as a designated Gateway and stressed the need for Sligo to develop critical mass in order to maximize its development potential. Mr. Kearns also called for a plan-led approach, better co-ordination of Government agencies and stronger regional co-operation.

The final speaker, Mr. Kieran Moylan, Assistant Director, BWM Regional Assembly presented the findings from the 2008 Gateway Development Index. This index was developed to examine how the 9 Gateway’s are performing against their roles as set out in the National Spatial Strategy. End