Carlow County Council is calling on community groups , business representative organisations and interested parties to be part of the call for innovative projects under the two measures for the Town & Village Renewal Scheme 2021 launched by Minister Humphreys this week.
Launched in 2016, the scheme supports the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000 people and to date has resulted in investment of €4m in Rural County Carlow.
The measures that will be supported by the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme include:
- Tackling dereliction in town centres
- Turning vacant properties into remote working and community spaces
- Supporting Local Authorities to run innovative marketing campaigns targeted at attracting remote workers to their county
- Investing in green spaces, parks and recreational amenities
- Upgrading and improving shop fronts & streetscapes on Main Streets
- Projects that support and enhance the night time economy and add vibrancy to town centres
Commenting on the scheme,Kieran Comerford, Head of Economic Development & Enterprise with the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow County Council said, “over the coming weeks the team will provide support to Towns and villages in applying for the schemes with an information and project development session being held on 18th May 2021 @ 7pm for interested part of the scheme”. Comerford continued to comment that “our role in this scheme is to enable communities to deliver solutions for themselves by a variety of projects which support the social and economic fabric of our communities in a measured way”.
The closing date for expressions of interest for the scheme is Friday 4th June 2021 @ 12noon and can be done online on LEO Carlow (submit.com)
Welcoming the scheme , Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council , Cllr. Tom O’Neill said “I urge communities to get involved in the Town & Village scheme for 2021 and to submit innovative ideas and to avail of the support of the executive of Carlow County Council in ensuring that County Carlow gets the resources available from this scheme” , O’Neill continued to say “As Cathaoirleach I am delighted with the track record of Carlow County Council in these Rural Schemes and supporting our Rural Communities is essential in these challenging times”.
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For further information contact Kieran Comerford on 086/8252037
Carlow County Council
Town & Village Renewal Scheme
Carlow County Council is seeking ideas in respect of projects which physically improve and/or increase the economic potential of towns and villages, in anticipation of the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2021. We are asking community groups across the county to bring forward details of any project which the Council could consider for submission to the Department of Rural and Community Development. This workshop is design to support interested community and business groups in the project.
Information Session - 18th May 2021
- Overview of 2021 Scheme - Kieran Comerford – Local Enterprise Office – Carlow County Council
- How to approach developing a community hub/building – Conor Moriarty – Senior Executive Architect
- Project Application & Delivery Insights – Helen Ryan – Local Enterprise Office – Carlow County Council
- Funding & Support Options from Leader – Annette Fox – Carlow County Development Partnership
- Next Steps & Close
To book log onto: Carlow County Council - Town & Village Renewal Scheme 18 May 2021 - Local Enterprise Office - Carlow
Call for Expression of Interest - Deadline Friday 4th June 2021 @ 12noon
The deadline for receipt of applications under the ‘Call for Expressions of Interest’ is 12 noon on Friday 4th June 2021.
Friday 4th June 2021 @ 12noon: Call for Expressions of Interest
Carlow County Council is seeking ideas in respect of projects which physically improve and/or increase the economic potential of towns and villages for the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2021. We are asking community groups across the county to bring forward details of any project which the Council could consider for submission to the Department of Rural and Community Development.
About the Scheme
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is an initiative under the Action Plan for Rural Development and is part of a package of national and local support measures to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland through the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme. The Scheme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by the Local Authorities.
Local Authorities are required to advertise for expressions of interest from towns/villages in their area and can select proposals for development into detailed applications to be submitted to the Department.
Categories of Towns/Villages
Two categories of Towns/Villages were eligible for support under the scheme:
- Category 1: Towns/villages with a population of less than 5,000 people
- Category 2: Towns with a population of 5,000-10,000 people
At least 60% of the funding available was awarded to Category 1 towns and villages.
With successful proposals that demonstrated close collaboration between communities and business interests in the design and delivery of proposed projects and had the support of the Local Authority.
Overview of 2021 Scheme
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. The programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future – Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025.” Our Rural Future will see increased investment out to 2025 in remote working infrastructure to provide an opportunity for people to continue to live in rural communities while following their career ambitions. It will also see continued investment to support town centre living. It will ensure cross government investment to support rural towns and villages as hubs of economic and social activity. Since the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2016, almost €93 million has been allocated to more than 1,300 projects across Ireland. The Scheme has supported towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. The 2021 Scheme will place particular emphasis on projects supporting remote working and enhancing town centre living. The maximum grant available in 2021 will increase to €500,000 to permit projects of additional scale to be funded. Projects that support the economic and social recovery of our towns and villages in response to COVID-19 will continue to be supported
Full Details on the Scheme can be found here: gov.ie - Town and Village Renewal Scheme (www.gov.ie)
