Minister Joe O’Brien Welcomes 2023 Town and Village Renewal Scheme
€15 million Fund to revitalise and regenerate towns and villages
Focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction and bringing additional footfall into town centres
New option for local authorities to acquire land for town regeneration
Funding for outdoor projects such as plazas, parks, playgrounds and green spaces
Grants for towns and villages that wish to develop farmer and artisan markets
New initiative to support projects on our offshore islands
Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities, Joe O’Brien, welcomes today (Friday, 21st July) the launch of the 2023 Town and Village Renewal Scheme – a €15 million Fund designed to revitalise and regenerate our towns and villages.
The Fund will support dozens of projects nationwide with a focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction and bringing additional footfall into the centre of our towns.
Grants will be made available to support the development of outdoor projects such as plazas, parks, playgrounds and green spaces.
Under the initiative, funding will be provided to local authorities to acquire land for regeneration purposes.
Farmer and artisan markets will be supported under the scheme and there will also be funding ring-fenced for projects on our offshore island communities.
Welcoming the 2023 Scheme, Minister O’Brien said:
“I welcome today the launch of the 2023 Town and Village Renewal Scheme by my Department which will see €15 million invested to develop dozens of projects right across the country.
“This year, there will be a particular focus on tackling issues such as vacancy and dereliction and supporting projects that will bring additional footfall into our town centres.
“I also welcome the support for outdoor projects such as new plazas, parks, playgrounds and green spaces.
“And there will funding available for towns and villages that wish to develop their own farmer or artisan markets which are extremely popular amenities for families and visitors alike.
Priority will be afforded to projects that align with the objectives of Our Rural Future, Town Centre First and Our Living Islands with a focus on:
Investment in infrastructure to support town and village centre markets;
Bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use a multi-purpose community spaces, or to address remote working needs.
Investing in the development of parks, green spaces and recreational amenities in town centres;
A new option to allow local authorities to acquire plots of land to enable development of town regeneration, such as town parks, plazas etc; and
Refurbishment of existing community centres.
The Minister continued:
“The Town Centre First Policy is a cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.”
“This year’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme has been closely aligned with these two policies – and it will directly support our towns to be more attractive and economically and socially vibrant.”
Since the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, over €154 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects. The Scheme has made an important contribution to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities in towns and villages throughout Ireland.
The scheme is administered through the local authorities, who are required to work closely with local communities and local businesses to develop and implement proposals.
Details of the 2023 Town and Village Renewal Scheme can be found here