A draft economic development policy document for Kilkenny between 2010 and 2016 was presented to the members of Kilkenny Borough Council at this month’s meeting on Monday evening.
The members were asked to approve the decision to put the policy on public display in order to gain public opinion of the future economic development of the county.
County manager Joe Crockett said that this was a plan which they hoped would attract foreign investment and it focused on several important elements including Kilkenny as a growth hub, Belview Port, and target development sectors.
Cllr David Fitzgerald commented that although the document was welcome he believed it was less than adequate and omitted several important aspects of an economic policy document.
“I welcome it but it’s incomplete,” he said. “There is not enough information in the document as to where we stand now and where we are heading into the future. It’s not thoroughly researched. Neither does it include specific time frames and targets which are two crucial pieces of information. So I don’t support it going on public display.”
However Mr Crockett pointed out that this was not a complete policy plan for the future and was never meant to be.
“This is a strategic development document - not a plan or a base plan study. We are not giving away our game plan to competitors at this early stage. We just wish to set out broadly what Kilkenny should focus on, that every step we take is an economic development measure. All our decisions are based on bettering Kilkenny’s economic development,” he pointed out.
It was agreed by the members that the document would go on public display to encourage the public to voice their opinions on the future economic development of the county.
