Taking local feedback on board is critical to making the Cliffs of Moher 2040 Strategy a success, county councillors have stated.
Half a million euros is being spent on the development of the strategy which is due to be completed by the end of 2021, the cost of which is to be split between Clare County Council and Fáilte Ireland for Leicester based Haley Sharpe Design.
Director of Service with the Council, Leonard Cleary detailed that the consultants had been briefed on key points raised by councillors in the West Clare Municipal District. He believed a subsequent meeting between the consultants and councillors was “very positive”.
Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) said the strategy was “too important not to get right”. He stated, “This is a topic as a Municipal District we need to be fully briefed on and keep on top of, it is the most important strategy that has been done for North Clare”.
“It is really important that we get a sense of what the consultants are hearing. Given the level of engagement that has happened, it is really important that we get a sense of what is being heard and what comes back,” Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) believed.
A member of the steering committee involved with the Cliffs, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) acknowledged the consultants for taking on board points put before them to date. “There is a massive element that is not site specific which we will hopefully see more detail on in the coming months”.
Potential new directions for the Cliffs must be put before elected representatives, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) stressed. “Mobility audits are taking place in different towns and villages to make sure the tourists can progress to the Cliffs of Moher. We want to have a tourism offering that will increase our long-stay tourism stay. As a Municipal District we need to move with determination to make sure the Cliffs of Moher is helping our case and that we’re gaining from it”.
