Designated Urban Centres Grants Scheme 2014 – 2020 will enable €127m investment in sustainable transport and urban regeneration meaures
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, has today (Tuesday) welcomed the announcement of €40 million in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant assistance for local authorities for designated gateway and hub towns across Ireland. The scheme will enable investments in sustainable transport and urban regeneration measures in Irish urban centres to the tune of €127 million for the period 2014-2020. ERDF is providing €40 million to the projects, which are co-funded by the local authorities.
Minister Donohoe today joined Ministerial colleagues, Kelly, Humphreys and Coffey, for the announcement by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in conjunction with the (i) Southern Regional Assembly and the (ii) Northern and Western Regional Assembly. in respect of the proposed local authority capital projects around Ireland that have been approved for ERDF grants under the Designated Urban Centres Grants Scheme 2014 – 2020.
Projects that have been awarded funding are located in Cork, Dublin (incl all 4 LA areas), Limerick, Waterford, Ennis, Kilkenny, Mallow, Tralee, Wexford, Athlone, Dundalk, Galway, Letterkenny, Mullingar, Sligo and Tullamore.
The aim of the ERDF Scheme is to improve the urban environment and revitalise Irish urban areas. It makes capital funding available to tackle social, economic, environmental, climate and demographic challenges and to contribute to an improvement in the development potential of Irish urban centres.
Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, stated: ‘I’m particularly pleased to see the number of sustainable transport measures being funded under this call. We’ve seen a significant growth in the numbers cycling over the past few years due to the continued investment in cycling infrastructure by my Department, the National Transport Authority and local authorities. The measures announced today will see that growth continue. This also ties in with our recently launched National Physical Activity Plan and shows this Government’s commitment to sustainable transport modes. I’m pleased to see, for example, that Limerick is continuing to seek to improve its sustainable transport provision under this scheme, following on from €9 million granted to them under my Department’s Smarter Travel Area funding stream. The commitment to funding urban regeneration also ties in neatly with my responsibilities for tourism as these funds will make these towns and cities more attractive not only to live and work in but to visit.’
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD said: ‘There is a strong correlation between healthy and vibrant urban centres and the creation of an attractive environment and enterprise development within the wider region. Strong urban centres enable their regions to realise their potential in attractiveness for business investment for Foreign Direct Investment for talent and for tourism and to create conducive and attractive locations for investment and for people to live and work in. This investment in sustainable urban development recognises our cities and towns as the engines of the regional economy. This scheme will provide grant assistance to designated local authorities for urban capital projects. I am delighted that sustainable urban development is being prioritised for funding, and that the investment being leveraged by these projects has the support of €40 million ERDF grants as announced today’.
Note for Editors
A pilot Gateways and Hubs Grants scheme to administer urban renewal projects was introduced under the 2007-2013 Regional Programme. This model is being retained to operate the new Designated Urban Centres Grant Scheme.
Local Authority Capital Projects eligible for grant assistance for Sustainable Urban Development under ERDF 2014-2020
|
LA |
Project |
Grant € |
| Cork Co. Co. (Mallow) |
Redevelopment of Mallow Town Hall – project to redevelop the Hall as an Arts & Cultural Centre |
1,000,000.00 |
|
Kilkenny Co. Co. |
Abbey Creative Quarter Project (Revitalise & regenerate the former Smithwicks Brewery site area, develop linear park, public realm spaces, provide street with pedestrian & cyclist priority, etc) |
1,000,000.00 |
| Waterford Co. Co. | Public realm regeneration of Waterford City urban core – project to create a high amenity, high quality durable public realm | 4,000,000.00 |
| Wexford Co. Co. | Redevelopment of City Quays Area
– upgrades to Wexford Quays and Crescent, incl Trinity Wharf & related public realm areas
|
1,000,000.00 |
| Cork City Gateway | Marina Park – project to develop Marina Park area, and the environmental enhancement of Monahan Road link with the Marina Park area | 3,500,000.00 |
| Cork City Gateway | Harley Street Pedestrian / Cycle Bridge – proposal to provide a dedicated cycle and pedestrian bridge across the North Channel of the river Lee | 1,500,000.00 |
| Limerick Gateway | URBAN CENTRE REVITALISATION – to include improved public realm, widened footpaths, re-aligned bus corridors, better traffic management | 4,100,000.00 |
| Limerick Gateway | SHANNON TOWN PARK – redesign Rineanna Park with circulation footpaths linking town centre with schools, community facilities & walks | 400,000.00 |
| Kerry Co. Co. | Tralee Town Centre West, Urban Development Project | 1,500,000.00 |
| South Dublin | Dodder Valley Greenway (South Dublin Co. Co.) – complete 2 phases of the scheme to install & extend cycle and pedestrian routes | 1,470,000.00 |
| Dublin City | Forbes Street Pedestrian & Cyclist Bridge (Dublin City Co. Co.) – provide an architecturally sensitive bridge to allow river passage & improve pedestrian and cyclist flow and access to this part of the city | 2,940,000.00 |
| Fingal | Swords Castle Cultural and Civic Quarter (Fingal Co. Co.) – Upgrade the Castle and surrounding buildings, regenerate the area | 1,470,000.00 |
| Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown | Dun Laoghaire Baths (DLRD Co. Co.)– project to migrate pedestrian footfall to the town centre, to retain the baths, to create pedestrian and cycle routes to the town centre and to provide new swimming facilities and jetty | 1,120,000.00 |
| Clare – Ennis | New County Library – construction of a new county library | 1,000,000.00 |
| Athlone | Church Street Enhancement | 1,500,000.00 |
| Dundalk | Clanbrasil Street and St Nicholas Quarter Rejuvenation Scheme | 2,000,000.00 |
| Galway | Galway City Library and Cultural Centre – project to build a city library & cultural centre | 3,500,000.00 |
| Letterkenny | Joe Bonner Link Road – to upgrade link road to enhance walking & cycling infrastructure | 750,000.00 |
| Letterkenny | Social Enterprise Building –
proposal for a new building |
1,000,000.00 |
| Letterkenny | Town Centre Linkages –
proposal to upgrade footpaths & enhance walking infrastructure |
250,000.00 |
| Mullingar | Enhancement of Mullingar Town Centre Civic Areas | 1,500,000.00 |
| Sligo | O’Connell Street Enhancement | 1,250,000.00 |
| Sligo | Cranmore Services Centre – provision of a new Community Centre | 750,000.00 |
| Tullamore | Tullamore Street Enhancement Project and Millennium Square to Distillery Lane pedestrian bridge and walkway | 1,500,000.00 |