Policy information
Town and Village Renewal Scheme
From Department of Rural and Community Development
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The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was first introduced in 2016. It is managed on behalf of the Department by the local authorities, and the programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040. The Scheme is targeted at towns and villages with a population of 10,000 or less and all projects funded under the Scheme must be completed within a 12 to 18 month period.
Since the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2016, over €93 million of funding has been approved for more than 1,340 projects across Ireland.
The Town and Village Scheme is one of a series of national and local support measures designed to rejuvenate small rural towns and villages throughout Ireland, under the Department of Rural & Community Development’s Rural Development Investment Programme
The 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme will place particular emphasis on projects supporting remote working and enhancing town centre living as outlined in Our Rural Future - Rural Development Policy 2021-2025. The Scheme will support these objectives and will encourage more people to return confidently to town and village centres to work, shop and socialise.
Grant Levels
The minimum grant is available is €20,000. The maximum grant available is being raised this year to €500,000. The increase is being made to align the scheme with the type of projects and level of ambition identified in “Our Rural Future”.
Local Authorities are invited to submit up to 8 applications per Local Authority area under the 2021 T&V Scheme.
Project Development Measure
A new Project Development Measure (up to €50,000) is being introduced on a trial basis this year.
It is proposed that applications would involve:
- Development costs for one strategic large scale project that may be subsequently progressed with funding from the Town & Village Renewal Scheme e.g. detailed design, preparation for the planning and/or procurement, appropriate assessment etc.
- Grant funding of up to €50,000 is available at a 90% rate of aid.
Application closing date
The 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme is now open and the closing date for receipt of applications is 16th July 2021.
Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2021
Supporting: Our Rural Future – Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025
DownloadThe Town Centre Living pilot was announced in October 2018. The aim of the initiative was to;
- explore how to encourage increased residential occupancy in rural towns and villages and,
- address the issue of vacant properties.
The pilot complements the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund
Six towns were identified to pilot the approach and were provided with funding of up to €100,000 each. The towns are:
- Ballinrobe, Co Mayo
- Banagher, Co Offaly
- Boyle, Co Roscommon
- Callan, Co Kilkenny
- Cappoquin, Co Waterford
- Castleblayney, Co Monaghan
Report Details
The independent report on the pilot Town Centre Living Initiative was prepared by Space Engagers for the Department of Rural and Community Development. Space Engagers is a social enterprise that emerged from a research project in University College Dublin and which explores how towns and cities can be made more resilient and sustainable.
The report identifies a number of issues and includes a set of actions.
The Report contains:
- Individual accounts of the implementation of the pilot in each town.
- A summary of a workshop which included the participants in the pilot and other relevant experts.
- Discussion on the emerging issues.
- 15 suggested actions for further consideration.
The Town Centre Living Initiative report was published on 22 June 2020.
The Joint Programme for Government (PFG) has committed in outline to the development of a Town Centre First (TCF) policy, modelled on the scheme developed by the Scottish Government, and informed by the Town Centre Living pilot.
Following on from this pilot, an Inter-Departmental Group has been established to progress the commitment to develop a Town Centre First approach to the regeneration of our towns and villages. The Inter-Departmental Group will, among other things, consider all of the suggested actions in the report on the Town Centre Living initiative.
