€3.7m windfall to boost Navan regeneration projects
Damien English TD and Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has announced that three major Urban Regeneration projects in Navan - the Navan Active Land Management, Flowerhill Regeneration and the Railway Street & County Archive Regeneration - will be funded by his Department.
This money will allow the Council acquire sites which have been identified for regeneration and these include properties on Flowerhill, Abbey Road and the Kenstown Road,
"I would like to pay tribute to the great work that Meath County Council, in collaboration with local community and business interests, put in to the application process before submitting their priority projects for the locality to my Department following a call from Government for this Urban Regeneration fund.
"It is great news that Navan is being supported so positively under the URDF. As the largest town in County Meath it is important that we can continue to grow and develop in a sustainable and coordinated way. I am excited for the town and look forward to plans progressing under this Government initiative." stated Minister English.
The Urban Regeneration and Development fund (URDF) has an overall allocation of €2billion to 2027 and the Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government has responsibility for implementation of the URDF.
There are two categories of submission, Category A for projects that are ready to go and Category B to support the initial development of projects (Master-planning/Feasibility) to ensure a pipeline of projects into the future.
Minister English concluded by stating that "the next round of funding under his Department’s Urban Regeneration Development fund will open in February 2019"
APPROVED PROJECTS FOR NAVAN ARE:
Navan Active Land Management
A: €3,675,000 - this will allow the Council acquire sites which have been identified for regeneration and these include properties on Flowerhill, Abbey Road and the Kenstown Road,
B: Flowerhill Regeneration - Approved in principle Eastern & Midlands Regional Assembly for a share in €6,337,000 with 6 other projects.
B: Railway Street & County Archive - Approved in principle Eastern & Midlands Regional Assembly for a share in €6,337,000 with 6 other projects.
The Mayor of Navan, Cllr JIm Holloway said "This is the news we have been waiting for, a significant tranche of funds for urban regeneration within Navan. I look forward to the regeneration of Flower Hill, the development of brownfield sites within Navan and development of the highest architectural standards. In this way we can provide for those who wish to live within Navan Town and close to services."
Meanwhile, Minister Regina Doherty has announced that a sum of €1.37million has been allocated to Ashbourne under the same scheme to support the implementation of the Ashbourne Public Realm Strategy, the construction of cycle facilities on the Milltown Road in Ashbourne and the construction of cycle facilities along the Main Street / R135 in Ashbourne. This is a Category A project.
“This funding will significantly support improvements in Ashbourne town centre and expand the existing cycle and pedestrian infrastructure. More importantly, this is an investment in the future of Ashbourne. This welcome injection of capital funding will help plans to boost the vitality of the town as a great place to live, work and visit, and also facilitate and foster growth in the town. Ashbourne has great potential and this investment will help us realise that,” she said.
Minister Helen McEntee welcomed the Ashbourne funding. " Ashbourne is one of Meath’s fastest growing towns and needs this investment”.