In September, 2014 a new Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) for County Monaghan was set up which must prepare a six-year Local Economic and Community Plan in cooperation with the County Council.
These plans are to facilitate the emerging role of local government in local development. The plan will consist of two elements:

  • A local economic element (prepared and adopted by Monaghan County Council , in conjunction with the SPC for Economic Development and Enterprise Support)
  • A community element (prepared and adopted by Monaghan LCDC)

The plan will identify areas of priority and set out the objectives and actions needed to promote and support the economic and community development for County Monaghan.
The focus of the plan will be on social and economic issues that have relevance and can be addressed at local and community level and which address the specific needs of the communities of County Monaghan.

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The Guiding Principles of the Local Economic & Community Plan

The LECP is part of a series of plans and strategies that have, and are being developed, at national, regional and local level. These include:

  • The National Spatial Strategy, National Development Plan, Rural Development Strategy, the Action Plan for Jobs and the National Anti-Poverty Strategy
  • The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies
  • The City (County) Development Plan made under the Planning Acts
  • The local Education and Training Strategy

‌The LECP will be underpinned by a number of guiding principles which reflect how the European Commission wishes to see Europe grow and develop in a smart, inclusive and sustainable manner by 2020. These are:

  • Promotion and main-streaming of equality: Combating poverty is one of the aims of EU2020 and one of the headline targets is to reduce the numbers at risk of poverty in the EU by 20 million.
  • Sustainability: Sustainability offers opportunity and a future for all citizens. It is about using our resources effectively and wisely, and collective governance and co-operation. It is about promoting a more resource efficient, green and more inclusive economy.
  • Maximising returns from resources by avoiding unnecessary overlap and duplication and by achieving synergies through co-operation and collaboration
  • Participative planning: The County Local and Community Planning process will make provision for meaningful community participation and consultation into the planning process.
  • Community consultation and engagement is a critical part of the participative planning and priority identification process.
  • Community development principles: The multi-dimensional nature of social exclusion and disadvantage and the need for wrap-around supports to reach the most marginalised is a key challenge and needs to be given central consideration in the development of the LECP.
  • Accessibility and ownership: The development of the plan and the resultant final plan adopted will be written in a style that is open, straightforward and as accessible as possible.