TOWN CENTRE FIRST FUNDING FOR BANTRY, MACROOM AND MITCHELSTOWN

TOWN CENTRE FIRST FUNDING FOR BANTRY, MACROOM AND MITCHELSTOWN

The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr, Frank O’Flynn has welcomed funding to help address challenges such as vacancy and dereliction in three County Cork towns. Bantry, Macroom and Mitchelstown will each benefit from €10,000 in funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Town Centre First Town Team Support Fund. 

The funds will be used to further develop Town Teams in each location. The teams are supported by Cork County Council’s Town Regeneration Office and play a vital role in helping communities access the wide range of departmental funding available under various schemes. 

The national Town Centre First Policy is a joint strategy by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and aims to create town centres that function as vibrant, viable and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit while also serving as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community.   

Mayor O’ Flynn, welcomed the funding, 

A collaborative approach to bringing about solutions to support town regeneration is key to achieving sustainable communities in County Cork. This Town Centre First policy aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction, and breathe new life into our town centres through the development of regeneration projects. I am looking forward to seeing the impact it has upon Bantry, Macroom and Mitchelstown town.

The latest funding announcement follows the recent publication of the Town Centre First Plan for Skibbereen, the pathfinder town under this scheme for County Cork, as well as the announcement in March of this year of an allocation of €30,000 approved by the Department of Rural and Community Development to develop a Town Centre First Regeneration Plan for the North Cork town of Kanturk.  

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Valerie O’ Sullivan added that, 

Cork County Council recognises the economic importance of vibrant towns. We are actively progressing a range of regeneration measures across towns in the county, covering areas such as sustainable travel, property activation and public realm enhancements.

Further information on the Town Centre First Town Team Support Fund for Bantry, Macroom, and Mitchelstown can be sought by emailing townregenerationoffice@corkcoco.ie