REPORT FROM PUBLIC MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 17TH OCTOBER
IN ST COLMCILLE’S NATIONAL SCHOOL, INISTIOGE.

The meeting commenced with a brief introduction from Denis Malone of Kilkenny County Council and Brendan McGrath of Brendan McGrath and Associates. This was followed by a presentation by Tim O’Brien who introduced the team from Brendan McGrath and Associates and explained the local area plan process to be followed. The meeting then broke up into four groups to discuss and report back on the following headings/topics:

1. What does Woodstock mean to you?
2. SWOT analysis
3. How do you see Woodstock in the future?

The groups took ten minutes on items 1 and 3 and 5 minutes on each part of the SWOT analysis. The groups then reported back to the meeting on each topic.

WHAT DOES WOODSTOCK MEAN TO YOU?

It is clear from this exercise that Woodstock Demesne retains a place in the heart of the local community. It transcends generations and moves through sentimental and/or emotional attachment to more tangible or practical contributions based in economics and security – a place of “work and play”. It is acknowledged that the Demesne has “provided livelihoods over generations.” The overriding view is a sense of ownership. Woodstock Demesne is seen as everyone’s “back garden” and a “world class garden” at that. One that the community feels “privileged” to have.

Woodstock provides “homes” for the many families that live on the demesne. But the sense of belonging moves beyond these families to the wider community. Words like “privacy”, “escape”, “enjoyment” and “tranquillity” are used to describe the experiences of many in the Demesne. The estate provides “childhood memories” for the older generations and probably is in the process of creating new ones for the children who are experiencing the Demesne now. Parents are encouraged to bring their children because Woodstock Demesne is “family and children friendly”. It is also “car free” and, therefore, “a safe place”.

Part of the pleasure of Woodstock Demesne is the “world class garden”, which along with the house is “part of our heritage”. It is also a “walker’s paradise”. Part of its appeal is the fact that it is “accessible and non-commercial”.

SWOT ANALYSIS

The SWOT analysis exercise proved fruitful. Despite the time constraints placed on the participants by the facilitator, they focussed and identified a range of issues and headings. Some of which can be addressed in the plan and some can’t.

Consensus can be identified through the SWOT analysis regarding the potential of the River Nore as a significant tourist attraction in itself and as an integral part of the overall potential tourism package. The consensus view would also extend to saying that this asset is significantly under-utilised. It can also be seen through the SWOT analysis that the potential of the house and gardens is undermined by the unstable condition of the house and the perceived neglect of the outbuildings. The house is at a stage where it is seen as having a negative impact visually. The gardens on the other hand are seen as a strength in their totality while individual aspects get a special mention. These include the Monkey Puzzle Walk and the Noble Fir Avenue.

The scenic landscape is seen as a major strength not only in the narrow context of the Demesne lands, but the views the landscape provides generally. By definition this must extend beyond the lands incorporated in the demesne. There is the view of the Demesne and the view from the Demesne.

When you move away from the house and gardens we are reminded that the Demesne provides a Pandora’s Box of goodies including the aforementioned River Nore, the river and forest walks, the waterfall and a range of wildlife – the red squirrel colony earns a particular mention.

The location of the Demesne between Kilkenny and Waterford was identified as a strength. On the other hand issues of access, the use of the R700 by heavy goods vehicles and the ability of the two bridges to accommodate traffic were identified as threats. Clearly these issues are outside of the remit of the local area plan and need to be addressed by the County Development Plan.

Most of the assets of the Demesne in some way check boxes as strengths and weaknesses and as opportunities and threats. The reason for this is manifold. Management, financing and access are the main headings that serve to summarise the issues and when faced with multiple ownerships they are complex issues to address. The paradox of the need for the local area plan to be revenue generating or it will fail and the perceived threat of development in general, or more specifically speculative development, to the future of the Demesne as an amenity also needs to be addressed in a satisfactory manner.

The commercial forestry is seen as a strength, a weakness and an opportunity. There is a view that the current forestry, while an obvious economic asset, is poorly managed, but the Local Area Plan presents us with an opportunity to revisit the management of the forest, in particular with the view of planting more hardwoods.

The participants recognise the importance of the Demesne as an economic asset both past and present. They accept that the exploitation of this asset into the future is inevitable, but should benefit the local community and generate local employment.

It is easy for us all to look at the Woodstock Demesne in a clinical fashion identifying the various elements of the tourism and/or heritage equation. What can’t be ignored is that the Demesne also provides homes for many families. It became clear from this process that the needs of these families are an integral part of the future development of the Demesne. It is acknowledged by the participants that the issues of privacy for the indigenous residents and future housing need of their families will have to be addressed. The first was identified as a threat in the SWOT analysis, while the latter was seen as an opportunity.

The table on the following page identifies the range of issues highlighted by the participants during the SWOT analysis. Some of the issues are outside of the remit of the local area plan process. Some of the issues identified relate to the plan itself rather than the Demesne indicating the linkage in people’s minds of the interdependency of the two.

HOW DO YOU SEE WOODSTOCK DEMESNE IN THE FUTURE?

A VISION When the participants were asked to identify their future vision for Woodstock Demesne they identified a list of outdoor activities that maximised the potential of an historic house and gardens adjacent to a forest and river that is criss-crossed by walkways. The house and gardens would be developed to a high standard of excellence without losing sight of its historical and aesthetic origins. Tourism development would be complimentary to this aesthetic and linked to the village and could include a museum or art gallery; craft workshops in the outbuildings; playgrounds with an outdoor activity theme; properly signposted river and forest walks, boating and a small garden centre. This would be supported by such infrastructure as self catering accommodation. Suggestions that this vision could include the house becoming a hotel and that a golf course could also be constructed were not shared by the wider group suggesting not only that scale is an important factor, but concerns about exclusivity and local “ownership” are factors too. The question of sustainability arose with the suggestion that the gardens should be self-renewing. People saw a house and gardens of national significance modelled on the National Trust ideal. Examples of this ideal including Powerscourt House, Avondale House and the Lost Gardens of Heligan were put forward by the group. It was felt, also, that for the Woodstock project to be successful some form of overall management structure with some level of responsibility for the whole demesne would need to be in place.

	S TRENGTHS	W EAKNESSES	O PPORTUNITIES	T HREATS
Art/Crafts			•
Bridges		•		•
Commercial Forest	•	•	•
Cost of Car Park		•
Derelict House		•	•	•
Derelict Outbuildings		•		•
Development				•
Disruption				•
Education			•
Friendly People	•
Gardens	•
Garlic Aroma	•
Heavy Vehicle Access		•
Heritage and History	•	•
Indigenous Housing Need			•
Invasion of Privacy				•
Ivy				•
Lack of Facilities		•	•
Lack of Funding				•
Lack of Signposting		•
Lack of Water		•
LAP Process			•
Litter				•
Local Employment			•
Location	•
Monkey Puzzle Walk	•
Mount Sandford	•
Neglect of Outbuildings
Noble Fir Avenue	•
Poor Roads		•		•
Red Squirrel Colony	•
River Nore	•		•
Road Ownership		•
Safe for Children	•
Scenic Landscape	•
Sustainable Development			•
Theft/Vandalism		•
Tourism			•	•
Tourist Accommodation
Traffic Access		•		•
Tranquillity
Walks	•		•
Waterfall	•
Weather				•
Wildlife	•		•