Roscommon Outdoor Recreation Strategy
Client: Roscommon County Council
The Challenge
To prepare an Outdoor Recreation Strategy for County Roscommon which will provide an effective and sustainable framework to maximise current and future opportunities for the participation of outdoor recreation activities throughout the county, whilst striving for the conservation and protection of the natural environment and cultural heritage.
The Role
To deliver the following requirements through a combination of desk research, good practice benchmarking, fieldwork, and consultation (one-to-one and workshop):
Current Position
- Assessment of the current outdoor recreation provision
- Assessment of strategic context
Future Development
- Developing a vision for where outdoor recreation in Co. Roscommon will be in 2030
- Identify the demand for future outdoor recreation provision and potential for sustainable development
- Identify opportunities for walking and cycling routes which could be developed as part of strategic infrastructure projects
- Develop recommendations on how current visitor management issues could be addressed
Strategic Development Opportunities
- Identify strategic development priorities, based on identified deficiencies, to enable Co. Roscommon to develop a diverse and sustainable outdoor recreation base, capable of supporting local communities and economies, whilst ensuring the integrity of the natural environment is maintained
- Identify and set out a priority schedule for the future development and management of outdoor recreation in Co. Roscommon ensuring that consideration is given to ensuring alignment with priorities at national level.
- Provide an action plan to address the nine year period of the strategy and the indicative challenges of implementing recommended actions.
- Identify the scope and viability of potential sources of funding in terms of public and private investment, e.g. Central/Local Government funding schemes, LEADER, corporate sponsorship and private sector.