Mayo town awarded €200,000 in THRIVE funding

There was good news for Ballina after it was announced that the north Mayo town will receive €200,000 in funding under the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE).

Ballina was one of 26 towns around Ireland which will receive funding under the new THRIVE scheme which aims to reimagine and revitalise town centres though the renovation and reuse of publicly owned vacant or derelict heritage buildings. 

Welcoming the funding awards, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Alan Dillon TD said: 

“Our towns and villages are the beating heart of rural Ireland. The Town Centre First Initiative is revitalising our communities the length and breath of the country. This initial tranche of funding under THRIVE will facilitate the development and enhancement of integrated urban strategies using a Town Centre First Approach and will assist local authorities to identify suitable projects and ensure they are ready to commence capital works.

“It is great to see 26 towns across the country, including Ballina, Co Mayo progressing as the first ever towns under the initiative. The next tranche of funding will support those capital works, helping our local authorities to preserve, enhance, transform and celebrate heritage buildings while rejuvenating their town centres for generations to come,” he said.

Local authorities in receipt of funding will be promoting the values and working principles of the New European Bauhaus – an initiative of the European Union – in their strategies and projects to ensure their projects are sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, inclusive and accessible.

Mayo TD Michael Ring also welcomed the funding for Ballina under the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme which is awarded under Ireland’s two European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Regional Programmes.

The Westport-based Fine Gael TD said that the funding is designed to empower communities to shape the future of their town centres by identifying opportunities which will help ensure the long-term vitality of our urban hubs.

“THRIVE was developed by the Southern Regional Assembly and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, working in close partnership with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It aims to allow local authorities and citizens to reimagine and revitalise town centres through the renovation and reuse of publicly owned vacant or derelict heritage buildings.

“Twenty-six towns in Ireland will benefit from funding under this scheme. The aim of this scheme is to revitalise our communities. This initial tranche of funding under THRIVE will facilitate the development and enhancement of integrated urban strategies using a Town Centre First Approach and will assist local authorities to identify suitable projects and ensure they are ready to commence capital works.
“Funding of this nature can have a transformative effect on towns making them even better places to live in, work in and visit. This fund is empowering communities to shape the future of their town centres by identifying opportunities which will help ensure the long-term vitality of our urban hubs.

“The Southern Regional Assembly and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly are currently evaluating THRIVE Strand 2 applications and expect to make awards for the first set of capital works projects under THRIVE in August 2024.

“Local authorities will have an opportunity to apply for another tranche of capital funding under THRIVE in a follow-on funding call in Spring 2025,” concluded Deputy Michael Ring.