A new ‘Town Centre First’ policy will revitalise towns across County Mayo and benefit local communities, local politicians have said.
Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon, welcoming the the policy, said it is "designed to support the regeneration of our towns and villages with targeted funding to support above-shop and town centre living."
He continued: "This ambitious and far-reaching policy contains a range of measures and funding supports aimed at making towns in County Mayo more viable and attractive places in which to live, work and visit, whilst ensuring they are social, cultural and services hubs for the local community."
Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers added: "The Government’s Town Centres First policy seeks to support, enable and inspire communities to be active participants in the heritage-led regeneration of their towns and villages.
"This in turn will re-invigorate independent retail and promote town centre living, supporting local economic resilience through the co-creation of liveable, vibrant, and nature-friendly urban spaces. I look forward to seeing the work that will be done in Killala as part of this strategy."
Fine Gael deputy Michael Ring said: "It is really important that this ambitious programme be backed up by significant Government funding. This major new policy is going to be a game changer for Mayo with local communities and local businesses central to reimagining and planning their own futures through a tailored plan. Our towns will benefit from Government funding, which will emphasise the importance of town centres as the central hub of our communities."
Deputy Dillon also added: "The new 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 ), Crói Conaithe (Towns ) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Last year, over €410 million was distributed nationwide under the URDF and I understand a new call will be opened shortly, focused specifically on support for our town centres in places like Mayo.
"For the first time, towns will also gain their own dedicated Town Regeneration Officers, who will be crucial to driving future development. They will be full-time dedicated positions within Mayo County Council working with Town Teams and local business groups to design and implement town plans. They will also work to identify derelict buildings and assist in bringing them back into use, a key objective of the Town Centre First policy."
