Council celebrates heritage award

FINGAL County Council won the prestigious Economic Development Award at the Irish Planning Institute Annual Awards held recently. 

The council was rewarded for its recently adopted strategy for Fingal’s portfolio of heritage properties. 

The strategic review of heritage properties, which was completed in late 2016, was the result of an in-depth financial and operational review of Fingal County Council’s heritage property portfolio in partnership with SLR consulting.

Chief executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid, congratulated the council’s Heritage Properties team for the work it has done in the strategic review of Fingal’s heritage properties. 

“The implementation of the outcomes of this review can greatly improve the tourism potential of the county and provide tangible economic benefit to the county as a whole,” he said. 

Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Mary McCamley said: “Fingal’s Heritage Properties hold a special and important place in the hearts of Fingal’s citizens and it is of great significance that this piece of work to improve and protect the properties into the future is recognised.”

The council‘s Director of Economic Development, Ed Hearne, said: “Our new strategy will support the creation of up to 700 jobs, safeguard the important community value of the properties and will further improve our tourism performance. 

“As we developed the strategy it became apparent that the scale, variety and value of the portfolio of historic properties here in Fingal mark us out from all other regions and our receipt of this award is recognition of this."

The Irish Planning Inistitute awards were held at the Grand Hotel in Malahide.   They recognise excellence under four headings: Plan Making, Design, Participation and Engagement, and Planning and Economic Development.