Submission to the Draft Dunmanway Integrated Development Startegy

Spent most of my spare time this week putting together a submission for my local town's development plan. As with many development plans there is much good stuff int it, but they are based on the assumption that today's trends will continue tomorrow and with so many challenges facing us - energy, climate change, decreasing resources of all kinds and now a fading property boom, I think that is a very risky assumption.

If you agree that tomorrow is likely to be much more energy constrained, this opens a wide range of opportunities for towns ready to grab them:

• Build a combined heat and power plant for the town providing cheaper heat and electricity and making it an attractive town for both residents and business.


• Develop as a centre for repair and remanufacture of goods - the trend towards repairs is already starting with companies like claimtracker in the UK


• Become a centre for low energy holidays such as walking and cycling with a range of quality resteraunts and other activies in the town.


• Develop a biogas plant to turn sewerage from a cost into a resource


• Install micro-hydro plants in the local rivers and stream


• Develop as a centre for small businesses who want to do work remotely by providing high quality video conferencing facilities that small groups could not currently afford.


• Build the first FabLab in Ireland and stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in the town.

Read all 18 pages here: