Press Release
Minister Frank Feighan TD
4/8/2021
Feighan encourages local communities to consider new €7million Fund to enhance streetscapes & shopfronts in their rural towns and villages
- Projects to include upgrade to building facades, artwork, murals, lighting, street furniture and canopies
- Investment designed to make rural towns and villages colourful, vibrant and attractive places
- Local Authorities to collaborate with businesses and property owners
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced a new €7 Million Fund to support the enhancement of streetscapes and shopfronts in over 50 rural towns and villages.
The Streetscape Enhancement Initiative will provide funding to property owners to improve the facades of their buildings.
Local TD and Minister Frank Feighan is encouraging local community development organisations like tidy towns and development groups to consider an application through their local authority. 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 removal of unnecessary signs / wires
“Communities across Ireland in towns like Westport and Kinsale for example have undertaken work to de clutter their town’s main streets, revive traditional shop fronts, illumination of certain areas along the streets and engage is planting and the provision of flower boxes in particular areas”
“This new initiative is about Local Authorities thinking strategically and working in collaboration with local businesses and property owners to add colour and vibrancy to our rural towns and villages” suggested Minister Feighan.
Minister Heather Humphrey’s stated;
“Outdoor Dining is here to stay and I believe that will only be a positive for towns and villages across the country. Through this fund, we want to make sure that people are looking out at vibrant, colourful and welcoming streets in our rural towns.
“The Streetscape Enhancement Initiative will directly support property owners to undertake work such as shop-front improvement, the painting of buildings in vibrant colours, upgrades to signage and lighting, the development of green areas and the installation of canopies and street furniture.”
The Streetscape Enhancement Measure will be administered by Local Authorities who will be requested to nominate at least two towns per county. Participating towns and villages will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Minister Humphreys concluded:
“’Our Rural Future’, the Government’s ambitious five year policy for Rural Ireland, commits to assisting in the regeneration, repopulation and development of our rural towns and villages.
“Through this new and unique initiative, I am committed to ensuring that our rural towns and villages are attractive and appealing places for families to live, work and visit. I am really looking forward to seeing the type of projects that come forward for funding via the local authorities over the coming weeks.”
Funding Distribution
The bandings for the allocation of funding are based on the number of towns and villages in each county. The group of 9 Counties with the highest number of towns/villages will receive €320,000 (Band A), the next group of 9 counties will receive €260,000 (Band B) and the last group of 8 counties will receive €220,000 (Band C)
BAND A (€320K)
Cork, Kildare, Donegal, Limerick City & County, Meath, Galway, Clare, Tipperary, Wicklow.
BAND B (€260k)
Kerry, Mayo, Louth, Wexford, Fingal, Kilkenny, Offaly, Cavan, Laois.
BAND C (€220k)
Waterford City and County, Carlow, Leitrim, Sligo, Westmeath, Longford, Monaghan, Roscommon
Grant Rates
Grant funding will be provided at the following rates:
- 70% for Individual premises – matched funding 30%
- 80% for Joint applications (groups of 3 or more adjacent premises) – matched funding 20%
- 100% – Where painting is undertaken by direct labour by applicant
Eligible works
Eligible works under the Streetscape Enhancement Measure include the following:
- Painting of building/shopfront in carefully selected colours which will complement the host building and streetscape.
- Upgrade / restoration of traditional shopfront facades.
- Murals (to be agreed in advance with Local Authority)
- Green enhancement of entrances/ terraces with planting
- Decluttering and repair of shopfronts. (Decluttering can include such works as removing unnecessary signs, flagpoles, wiring etc.)
- Careful illumination and lighting of architectural features of buildings.
- Canopies/Awnings complementary to the materials of the shopfront and building (including street furniture).
- Replacement of signage with traditional wooden fascia with wooden/hand painted lettering
- Contemporary design Improvements to shopfront window displays and staging.