Streetscape Enhancement Measure 2021
Owners of commercial, residential or unoccupied buildings in Longford, Granard, Drumlish and Lanesborough are urged to apply for funding under the Streetscape Enhancement Measure 2021 of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
It’s after Longford was allocated €220,000 by the Department for Rural and Community Development to support the enhancement of streetscapes and shopfronts in four designated towns, as part of €7 million being made available nationwide. This new scheme was announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD under the Our Rural Future five-year strategy.
Launching the scheme, Minister Humphreys stated that the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative will provide funding to property owners to improve the facades of their buildings. “It is part of the Government’s effort to assist in the regeneration, repopulation and development of our rural towns and villages.”
“Improving the visual appearance of our urban streetscapes increases pride and confidence in our hometowns and villages, making them more attractive places to live, work and do business.”
The Streetscape Enhancement Measure will be administered by Local Authorities and will involve Longford County Council working in collaboration with local businesses and property owners to add colour and freshness to our rural towns and villages. The types of projects that could be supported include:
- Strategic collaboration between property owners to paint buildings or shopfronts in vibrant colours
- Commissioning of murals in towns and villages
- Upgrade or restoration of historic/traditional shopfronts
- Provision of street planting, shrubbery, trees and flowers boxes
- Illumination and lighting of architectural features
- Installation of canopies and street furniture
- Decluttering of streetscapes with the removal of unnecessary signs/wires
Welcoming the new initiative, Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Peggy Nolan explained that she had been calling for this type of scheme for years. “This will support hard-pressed business owners to enhance the exterior of their premises making them more appealing to locals and visitors alike. When I see what has been achieved in towns like Kinsale, Adare and others, I think to myself why not Longford – and now I’m delighted that we have a wonderful opportunity to do just that for four towns in our county.”
Chief Executive of Longford County Council Paddy Mahon said it’s great to see Longford taking every opportunity to support towns and businesses in moving forward. “Enhancing our streetscapes will create a positive vibe and energy in our urban centres which in turn will attract higher footfall and help our local businesses to flourish.”
Levels of support for eligible projects will range from 70 per cent for individual premises to 80 per cent for joint applications (groups of three or more adjacent premises) to 100 per cent where the painting is undertaken by direct labour by the applicant. The maximum level of support to any individual building is €8,000.
For further information, or to apply for the scheme, interested parties can log on to www.longfordcoco.ie or email jmurphy@longfordcoco.ie.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on 7 September 2021.
Additional Information:
- This measure is targeted at towns or villages with a population of up to 15,000 people
- Commercial, residential or unoccupied buildings in town/village centre locations, as defined by the local authority, will be considered eligible
- Projects must be completed by mid-November 2021
