Streetscape Enhancement Initiative – Meath

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The Department of Rural and Community Development has announced the 124 towns and villages that will benefit from a new €7 million fund to support the enhancement of streetscapes and shopfronts.

Under the scheme, businesses, community groups and property owners in Ashbourne, Athboy, Oldcastle, Laytown, Bettystown and Slane can apply to Meath County Council for funding to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture.

For further details and to apply visit https://bit.ly/3gLNse3.
Closing date for applications is 5pm, Friday 3rd September 2021.

Please find initiative details below:

Our Rural Future is the Government’s 5-year strategy to revitalise rural Ireland and includes a commitment to upgrade and enhance shopfronts and street facades in rural towns and villages.

This activity will be funded by the Department of Rural & Community Development (DRCD) through this 2021 Streetscape Enhancement Measure. This is an additional Measure introduced as part of the Town & Village Renewal Scheme.

Improving the visual appearance of our urban streetscapes increases pride and confidence in our home towns and villages, making them more attractive places to live, work and do business.

The focus of this measure is to support the upgrade and enhancement of shopfronts and street facades of defined areas within selected rural town/village centres.

This Measure will support activity such as painting (including murals), signage replacement, shopfront improvement, lighting, and canopies.

Eligible Towns & Villages

Towns and villages where Public Realm plans are in place or near completion are eligible to participate in the scheme. The following locations are invited to submit applications with their proposals to enhance the streetscape in central areas of the town or village.

Ashbourne
Athboy
Bettystown
Laytown
Slane
Oldcastle

Allocation of funding

A grant is available up to a maximum of €48,000 (vat inclusive) per town/village centre.

Priority will be given to joint applications where there are a number of adjacent buildings on the one street.

Successful applicants must have projects completed and all funding requests with paid invoices/receipts submitted to the Council by early November 2021.

Eligible Premises and Works

Eligible premises include commercial, residential and unoccupied buildings within town centre locations.
Painting of building/shopfront in carefully selected colours which will complement the host building and streetscape.
Green enhancement of entrances/ terraces with planting.
Murals. To be agreed in advance with Local Authority
Decluttering and repair of shopfronts. Decluttering can include such works as removing unnecessary signs, flagpoles, wiring etc.
Careful illumination and lighting of architectural features of buildings.
Improvements to shopfront window displays and staging.
Replacement of signage with traditional wooden fascia with wooden/hand painted lettering OR contemporary design.
Canopies/Awnings complementary to the materials of the shopfront and building including street furniture.
Replacement of existing shopfront with traditional painted wooden shopfront OR contemporary design.

ELIGIBLE WORKS WITH MAXIMUM COSTS ALLOWED PER BUILDING:

Terms and Conditions

Completed applications to the Community Section, Meath County Council
Photographs of streetscape prior to commencement of project must be included with any drawings detailing proposed works.
The following procurement rules apply, as a minimum, to the individual projects funded:
- 2 x Contractor quotations
- 1 x Materials quotation
3 written quotations required for contracts above €5,000 as per National Procurement Guidelines. Quotations must be Vat inclusive
Proposed colour scheme and proposed new signage to be submitted. Meath County Councils shopfront and signage guidelines must be adhered to.
Planning permission may be required for some buildings and should the building be a protected structure, contact is required with the council’s conservation officer.
Permission must be sought from the owner of the building and written consent submitted.
Where a scaffold/hoist is required, a permit must be sought from the council.
Grant is paid upon submission of receipts and completion of works to the satisfaction of the Council