Graiguecullen Laois, over the bridge from Carlow town. Image: Google maps
Graiguecullen is suffering urban dereliction and vacant shops, but it is finally to get help, from the Laois side.
Graiguecullen which has grown into a suburb of Carlow town, up to now had no regeneration funding to buy up deteriorating street buildings, from either Carlow or Laois local authorities.
Laois County Council CEO Michael Rainey has now announced a new source of money, at the July meeting.
His housing department won the funding from the national Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).
“The Graiguecullen area can now be considered under Call 3 of the acquisitions programme. It will be a useful tool to tackle urban regeneration,” he said.
In Laois County Council’s monthly report, the council confirmed that a survey of properties will now be undertaken in Graiguecullen, with a view to entering them into the funding scheme.
“This funding acts as a dedicated revolving fund within each local authority so as to address the financial barrier and risk faced by local authorities in seeking to tackle long term vacant and derelict buildings and sites across URDF towns and cities.
“This fund is currently operational in Portlaoise where a number of properties have been considered and actioned therein,” the report confirms.
In the Joint Local Area Plan for Graiguecullen, Laois County Council has identified two ‘opportunity areas’ at the Fruithill Manor and Glanbia sites.
A Laois councillor recently suggested that Graiguecullen and Carlow could become the Budapest of Ireland.
Carlow town has already won €21.8 million in URDF funding for regeneration projects.
Read also: Graiguecullen store removes trees without planning permission
Mr Rainey transferred from a director’s role in Carlow County Council to the top job in Laois last November.
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