Town & Village 2020 Scheme

The main strand of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for 2020 is now open for submission of Expressions of Interest.  The fund will operate on the same basis on previous years, albeit with a particular focus on delivering an economic dividend and enabling towns to respond to Covid-19 challenges.  Proposals should be developed in conjunction with your Local Municipal District Office.

 

Please find attached the Scheme Outline, a condensed Summary of the scheme, and the Expression of Interest forms to be completed and returned to townandvillagerenewal@corkcoco.ie by 4pm on Friday July 17^th to allow adequate time for consideration of the proposals and shortlisting of applications to be drawn up, and final  applications to be prepared for submission to the Department by the closing date.  Please bear in mind that the scheme is also available for smaller villages and is not limited to the larger County towns.

 Objectives and Eligibility

The fund will operate on the same basis as previous years, albeit with a particular focus on delivering an economic dividend and enabling towns to respond to Covid-19 challenges. The scheme continues to support public realm activities and the enhancement of town centre amenities, however this year towns and villages most in need of support will be prioritised and towns and villages that have not previously been funded under the scheme will benefit.

All projects approved must be ready to commence as soon as approval is granted, with the ability to deliver within a realistic timeframe e.g. 12-18 months. Where possible, it is advised that any relevant planning permissions, surveys or studies are in place prior to the submission of an application, to ensure there are no delays in the commencement of the project.

Categories of Towns:

Category 1 (Primary focus) – Towns and Villages with population up to 5000 will receive at least 60% of the funding

Category 2 – Towns and Villages with population 5001-10000

Application Process:

The Local Authority will be required to complete and submit the following by August 28^th 2020.:

·         An individual application form for each project

·         An application overview sheet

·         An expression of interest overview sheet

Types of activities that will be supported (not exhaustive)

·         Projects that can respond to COVID-19 challenges and aid the economic and social recovery over the medium term.

·         The development of initiatives to encourage town centre living.

·         Initiatives which attract increased footfall to the town/village, including those associated with tourism activities.

·         Repurposing of existing buildings in town or village centres to facilitate remote working and/or other community use.  

 ·         Branding and promotion of the town/village to attract new customers and/or business investment.

·         Town safety and accessibility enhancements.

·         Car parking improvements expressly designed to encourage increased footfall in town centres.

·         Projects that support improvements of Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), and enterprise and remote working hub facilities, to address factors contributing to low occupancy rates.

·         Provision/enhancement of local recreational facilities (e.g. Town Parks, walking trails linked to the town/village).

·         Enhancement of streetscape and town environment.

·         Shop/House front enhancement (especially if done in parallel with other Local Authority Schemes focused on such improvements).

 

Activities need to have a clear benefit and a visible impact for the town/village concerned and need to be capable of being delivered within a realistic timeframe.

 

Activities that will not be supported

·      Where the Local Authority is aware of difficulties in obtaining the appropriate planning permission or other permissions/leases necessary for the successful delivery of the project.

·      Support for a single private enterprise – projects that collectively assist private enterprises within a town or village are acceptable

·      Purchase of land or property.

·      Incomplete projects - Phases of projects are acceptable but the project must be operational after completion of each phase funded.

·      Ongoing operational costs.

·      Projects that don’t demonstrate consultation with community.

·      Projects more appropriate for funding under CLÁR, the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the Outdoor Rural Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) or the RRDF.

 

Grant Level

Maximum Grant Level is 90% of the total cost of a project. The remaining 10% match funding must be contributed by the Local Authority and/or the Community and/or Philanthropic contribution. This can take the form of 5% cash (minimum) and 5% in-kind contribution (maximum)

The minimum available grant is €20,000 and maximum is generally €100,000. A higher maximum of €200,000 can be considered for a small number of projects that can present a robust case for demonstrating exceptional benefits to a town. It has been proposed that an indicative 20% of funding will be ring-fenced for such projects.

Professional and Local Authority administration costs are allowable but should be kept to a minimum. They must be clearly detailed in the application and are only permitted up to a maximum  of 10% of overall project costs.

Payment Schedule

Funding must be drawn down in up to 3 phases. Any individual claim must involve at least 20% of total project costs.

Full details of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/01125e-town-and-village-renewal-scheme/

                                                                                   

Any queries can be addressed to Sophie Ryan sophie.ryan@corkcoco.ie  or to the local Municipal District Office, or to myself Nicola Radley, details hereunder: