Tidy Towns

Laois Partnership actively support Tidy Towns groups through research and planning, training, capital support and though provision of support from the TUS and Rural Social Scheme programmes.

1. Assistance with Strategic Planning
2. Training and Assistance with Biodiversity Enhancement and BAPs (Biodiversity Action Plans)
3. Capital assistance for community enhancement projects
4. TUS and Rural Social Scheme Programmes

Strategic Planning for Tidy Towns Groups

In 2011, the Partnership secured funding to assist 16 local groups to bring in specialist help to draw up 3-Year Management Plans. These plans have served as a valuable  “road-map” to steer the work of the local groups and have pushed up their performance in the national Tidy Towns Competition.

To view the reports which were produced as part of this initiative, click here………

To download project summary report produced by Consultant (Frank Donaldson)…………Click Here……………

Biodiversity Initiative

More recently, Laois Partnership Co. contracted Kearney Consultants & Trainers and MacGowan Associates to undertake an innovative Biodiversity training programme for community groups (including Tidy Towns groups) across Laois.

The project was identified by Laois Partnership on the back of long-term activity in the county and involvement in environment, heritage, tourism and conservation projects.  Indeed, both formal and informal community consultations demonstrated that many individuals and organisations had a strong interest in building their knowledge and skills in planning projects to support sustainable community development. By designing and delivering comprehensive training in biodiversity it was envisaged that individuals’ and communities’ awareness and capacity of appropriate biodiversity planning and interventions would be enhanced.

The first phase of the the year long project  began in the spring of 2013. This involved a series of Biodiversity training workshops (3 in each location) which were delivered from five locations across the county – Vicarstown, Ballyroan, Ballacolla, Camross and Graiguecullen. This phase of the program culminated in a field trip to Abbeyleix Bog in July 2013.

The project resumed for a second phase in the autumn of 2013 when seven communities (Abbeyleix, Ballacolla, Cullohill, Emo, Killenard, Mountmellick and Portarlington) embarked on an intensive programme to prepare Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) for their respective communities.

The BAPs were prepared collaboratively with each community bearing in mind best practice from other locations and also tailored to the needs of the specific location. The completed plans were presented to the participating communities at a final workshop in Ballacolla on 27^th June 2014.