Town Centre First – Suite of Supports 2024
This was the first call for funding in 2024 with the TCF Suite of Supports replacing supports previously available for the development of TCF plans, town health-checks and the Project Development Measure (PDM) through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
These measures complemented other funding initiatives within the Department, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration Development Fund and will ensure resources are effectively allocated and provide clear support to local communities and town teams in leading the revitalisation of their towns and villages. Offaly County Council were successful in securing funding for the following projects:
Measure 1: TCF Town Team Support Fund
€10,000 awarded to both Kilmalogue and Daingean.
This funding has been used to engage the services of the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) to carry out Health Checks in both Kilmalogue and Daingean. This involved various data gathering exercises, engaging with the public both online and in person and presenting final reports to Offaly County Council which will be valuable resources to have as we progress through the Town Centre First Plan process.
Measure 2: Town Centre First Plan
€30,000 secured for Ferbane towards the cost of appointing suitably qualified urban led-design team to prepare a Town Centre First Plan, the development of which is well underway. OCC are developing the plan in-house, in collaboration with Ferbane’s newly formed Town Team, urban designers, Brady Shipman Martin and using information gathered during the Ferbane Town Health Check which was also carried out by TUS.
Measure 3: Project Development Measure
€50,000 secured for Clara to engage the services of an architect led design team to deliver a detailed design proposal and planning permission for the refurbishment and conversion of the now derelict, former co-operative building located at River Street into a multi-purpose community space. This process is currently underway with the necessary surveys and extensive public consultation carried out by Helena McElmeel Architects in partnership with Offaly County Council and Clara Town Team.
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