Significant Funding Awarded for Town Regeneration Projects in County Cork
Cork County Council has been granted almost €2 million in funding for rural regeneration projects in Fermoy and Macroom. The money will be used to rejuvenate the town centres, combat dereliction and drive economic growth.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced €21.5 million for 27 projects across the country under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF).
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Gillian Coughlan welcomed the funding, she said, “Many rural areas have faced significant social and economic fallout as a result of the global pandemic. The proposals for both Fermoy and Macroom are responsive to this. We want to make our town and village centres the most attractive places to live, work, run a business, socialise and visit.”
More than €1.5 million has been awarded to Fermoy to deliver a town centre renewal project. It centres around adapting and reusing historic and vacant town centre buildings in a sustainable way as well as developing plans for a Craft Makers Hub. It also includes enhanced recreational facilities and public realm improvements. The project will be led by Cork County Council in partnership with Avondhu Blackwater Partnership CLG.
In Macroom, the funding will be used to develop a future vision for the former Church of Ireland building on Castle Street, transforming it into a flexible community, heritage and commercial outlet, in partnership with Lee Valley Enterprise Board, Macroom E and Macroom Tidy Towns. Funding of €395,000 has been granted and will also be used to improve accessibility and footfall in Macroom, connecting the Mill Dam/Masseytown area with the derelict church building.
Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey added, “This funding is most welcome and will bring both projects through the development stage and to the point where they are ready to begin work. The funding will help transform Fermoy, delivering large-scale regeneration through targeted interventions. It’s about revitalising Fermoy town centre and driving it forward. The total cost of the Fermoy project is €1,925,000 with €1,540,000 awarded under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund. Cork County Council will fund the remainder. Macroom is a key heritage town with a fascinating history that goes to the heart of its identity. The project is centred around repurposing the former Church of Ireland building, an important landmark that has huge potential. Cork County Council is committed to working with local organisations, businesses and residents to achieve the best possible results for our county towns.”
The Rural Regeneration Development Fund provides investment to support suitable projects in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000. To date, 191 projects across the country have been awarded funding of €277 million. Funding from the RRDF is provided to further the aims of Our Rural Future, the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025.
Tá beagnach €2 milliún deonaithe ar Chomhairle Contae Chorcaí do thionscadail athnuachana tuaithe i Mainistir Fhear Maí agus Maigh Chromtha. Úsáidfear an t-airgead chun lár na mbailte a athnuachan, chun dul i ngleic le dearóiliú agus chun fás eacnamaíoch a bhrú chun cinn.
Tá €21.5 milliún fógartha ag an Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, Heather Humphreys TD, le haghaidh 27 tionscadal ar fud na tíre faoin gCiste um Athghiniúint agus Fhorbairt Tuaithe (RRDF).
Tá níos mó ná €1.5 milliún bronnta ar Mhainistir Fhear Maí chun tionscadal athnuachana lár an bhaile a sheachadadh. Díríonn sé ar fhoirgnimh stairiúla agus fholmha i lár an bhaile a oiriúnú agus a athúsáid ar bhealach inbhuanaithe chomh maith le pleananna a fhorbairt le haghaidh Mol Dhéantóirí Ceardaíochta. Áiríonn an plean áiseanna feabhsaithe áineasa agus feabhsuithe ar an ríocht phoiblí chomh maith. Beidh an tionscadal á stiúradh ag Comhairle Contae Chorcaí i gcomhpháirtíocht le Avondhu Blackwater Partnership CLG.
I Maigh Chromtha, úsáidfear an maoiniú chun fís a fhorbairt don todhchaí d’iarfhoirgneamh Eaglais na hÉireann ar Shráid an Chaisleáin, le plean chun é a aistriú ina ionad pobail, oidhreachta agus tráchtála solúbtha é, i gcomhpháirtíocht le Bord Fiontar Ghleann na Laoi, Macroom E agus Bailte Slachtmhara Mhaigh Chromtha. Deonaíodh maoiniú de €395,000 agus úsáidfear an t-airgead seo chun feabhas a chur ar inrochtaineacht agus líon na gcuairteoirí i Maigh Chromtha chomh maith, ag nascadh ceantar Damba an Mhuilinn/Bhaile Mheasaigh leis an bhfoirgneamh séipéal dearóil.
D’fháiltigh Méara Chontae Chorcaí, an Clr. Gillian Coughlan, roimh an maoiniú. Dúirt sí, “Bhí drochthionchar suntasach ar go leor ceantar tuaithe, go sóisialta agus eacnamaíoch, de bharr na paindéime domhanda. Freagraíonn na moltaí do Mhainistir Fhear Maí agus do Mhaigh Chromtha dó seo. Ba mhaith linn lár ár mbailte agus sráidbhailte a dhéanamh ar na háiteanna is tarraingtí le maireachtáil, le hoibriú, le gnó a dhéanamh, le bheith ag sóisialú, agus le cuairt a thabhairt orthu.”
Dúirt Príomhfheidhmeannach Chomhairle Contae Chorcaí Tim Lucey freisin, “Tá fáilte mhór roimh an maoiniú seo agus tabharfaidh sé an dá thionscadal tríd an gcéim forbartha agus go dtí an pointe go bhfuil siad réidh le tosnú ar an obair. Cabhróidh an cistiú le Mainistir Fhear Maí a bhunathrú, ag seachadadh athbheochan ar scála mór trí idirghabhálacha spriocdhírithe. Is éard atá i gceist leis ná lár baile Mhainistir Fhear Maí a athbheochan agus é a chur chun cinn. Is é costas iomlán an tionscadail i Mainistir Fhear Maí ná €1,925,000, le €1,540,000 den mhéid sin bronnta faoin gCiste um Athghiniúint agus Fhorbairt Tuaithe. Déanfaidh Comhairle Contae Chorcaí an farasbarr a mhaoiniú. Príomhbhaile oidhreachta é Maigh Chromtha a bhfuil stair shuimiúil aige a théann go croílár a fhéiniúlachta. Tá an tionscadal dírithe ar iarfhoirgneamh Eaglais na hÉireann, sainchomhartha tábhachtach a bhfuil acmhainneacht ollmhór aige, le hathúsáid a bhaint as. Tá Comhairle Contae Chorcaí tiomanta d’oibriú le heagraíochtaí áitiúla, gnólachtaí agus cónaitheoirí chun na torthaí is fearr agus is féidir a bhaint amach dár mbailte contae.”
Soláthraíonn an Ciste um Athghiniúint agus Fhorbairt Tuaithe infheistíocht chun tacú le tionscadail oiriúnacha i mbailte agus sráidbhailte le daonra níos lú ná 10,000. Go dtí seo, bronnadh maoiniú de €277 milliún ar 191 tionscadal ar fud na tíre. Cuirtear maoiniú ón gCiste um Athghiniúint agus Fhorbairt Tuaithe (RRDF) ar fáil chun aidhmeanna 'Todhchaí Cheantair Thuaithe na hÉireann' , polasaí uile-rialtais do cheantar tuaithe na hÉireann don tréimhse 2021-2025 a chur chun cinn.