Over €1 million announced in funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced €1,147,490 in funding for County Cavan under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme that will combat dereliction and breathe new life into rural towns and villages.
The announcement represents the largest ever investment under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and will see a range of landmark projects delivered across Rural Ireland.
Minister Humphreys also today announced two projects, in Cootehill and Ballinagh, that will benefit from funding under the Building Acquisition Measure (BAM) of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
Under the initiative, local authorities were asked by the department to engage with the local community to identify suitable vacant or derelict properties that could be taken into public ownership and converted for community use.
Minister Humphreys has also given the green light for work to take place in Ballyconnell under the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative. Under the initiative, retailers and property owners will be provided with grants that they can use to improve the facades of their buildings, carry out artwork or install features such as street furniture or canopies.
Announcing the funding today, Minister Humphreys said: “I am delighted to announce a record €27 million in funding under my Department’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This is all about tackling the scourge of vacancy and dereliction in our rural towns and villages. It’s about taking old buildings and giving them a new lease of life”.
The Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Councillor John Paul Feeley welcomed the funding saying “The funding announced today is very welcome for the communities involved and further demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting rural towns. This investment will rejuvenate our rural towns and villages making them more appealing places to live, work and visit”.
Chief Executive of Cavan County Council Tommy Ryan said “I would like to thank Minister Humphreys and the Department of Rural and Community Development for their continued support of worthy projects throughout the county.”
Director of Service, Brendan Jennings added that “the funding announced is a testament to the staff in the Community Enterprise and Tourism section who engage with local communities to identify areas where funding is required and put forward strong applications.”
View the breakdown of funding announced today below:
| Project/ Location | Description | Allocation |
| Ballyconnell | A ‘heritage walking trail’ scheme incorporating the heritage of Ballyconnell. This will include interpretative spoken and written word, outdoor lighting, landscaping, provision of street furniture and solar powered bins. | €142,810 |
| Cootehill | The development of a ‘remote working enterprise hub’, a ‘multi- purpose community space’ and ‘community green space’ within the site of the former Cootehill Bank of Ireland building. | €500,000 |
| Mullagh | An enhancement and extension of the public amenity at Mullagh’s Sports Centre grounds with the objective of increasing footfall and economic activity in the town centre. | €225,240 |
| Virginia | The project will improve the aesthetics of Virginia town core, through the installation of benches, planters, bins, information panels, fencing, and antique poles for hanging baskets. | €129,440 |
| SEM - Ballyconnell | Funding under the Streetscape Enhancement Measure in Ballyconnell. | €100,000 |
| PDM - Ballinagh | The proposal is to develop a Food hub facility for County Cavan in these vacant and prominent commercial premises. The site is significant in size comprising a range of varied buildings including the historical 'Market House'. | €50,000 |
| Total | €1,147,490 |