Policy promises to breathe new life into town centres
The Government has revealed details of Town Centre First – a major new approach that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into town centres across Galway and the rest of the country.
Town Centre First contains 33 unique actions which will give towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, visit and run a business.
The policy is underpinned by multi-billion-euro investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), Croí Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
For the first time, designated towns will gain their own dedicated Town Regeneration Officers, who will be crucial to driving future development.
The policy also contains a range of actions designed to achieve key objectives such as social and economic revival in towns, the provision of housing, as well as addressing challenges like vacancy and derelict buildings.
But while the Government was lauding its own plan, one Galway East TD Described it as ‘very disappointing’ and said there was nothing new in the policy as the funding streams were already in existence.
Sean Canney said there was no incentive within the policy to support first time buyers to purchase vacant properties and turn them into living spaces.
“Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme are all in place for the last number of years,” he said.
“The Crói Conaithe (Town) Fund is not yet in place and will not be in place until later this year”.
And he claimed that the lack of Wastewater Treatment Plants in our towns and villages is a glaring obstacle in the regeneration of our towns and villages.
“Typically, in Galway East, Craughwell, Corofin, Lackagh and Abbeyknockmoy are examples of growth centres that are left to stagnate due to the absence of Wastewater Treatment facilities,” he said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.