Percival Street, Kanturk to be the focus area of the Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Seamus McGrath was joined by Ballincollig/Carrigaline Chairperson Cllr Derry Canty to launch the Municipal Districts Streetscape, Painting, Signage and Improvement Scheme 2017 from the Library building in Passage West. The existing painting scheme has been updated in order to assist the Council in tackling dereliction. Each Municipal District has identified a town where it will place a particular emphasis on dereliction during 2017.
Speaking at the launch, Mayor McGrath spoke of the proactive approach set out in delivering this scheme, “The Municipal Districts Streetscape, Painting, Signage and Improvement Scheme 2017 will look at processes that will lead to an improvement in a town, or a particular part of it and what practical measures will assist in improving the built fabric of our towns.”
This selection of Passage West coincides with the decision in 2016 to submit an application for Passage West under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. As part of this scheme a ‘Health Check ‘will be undertaken to examine Passage West from an economic, social and environmental perspective. The outcomes will be discussed by the Passage West Project Renewal Committee which will constitute a wide range of local interested parties. This local input will assist in creating a broad plan for the redevelopment of Passage West over the next 10 years with particular emphasis on key deliverables, including improvements to the fabric of the town.
Cllr Seamus McGrath, Mayor of the County of Cork, with Cork County Council director of services Mary Ryan and Kevin O’Regan, Municipal District Officer, at the countywide launch of the Cork County Council, Streetscape Painting, Signage & Improvement Scheme, in Passage West.
Picture: David Keane.
Mayor McGrath went on to say, “This scheme will have a major beneficial effect on an area. Working in conjunction with the Council, property owners can reduce the cost of rejuvenating their property and help to improve the aspect of an entire street. The Council will also assist in ensuring that colour schemes for areas and individual properties are chosen correctly to provide for a vibrant but harmonious streetscape.”
Other towns nominated in the county are Youghal, Bantry, Bandon, Charleville, Macroom (New Street), Kanturk (Percival Street) and the Midleton Street area of Cobh.
Anyone interested in availing of this scheme should contact their local Municipal District office for details of the Scheme being rolled out in their Municipal District.
Further Information:
Each Municipal District has identified a particular town where it would place a particular emphasis on dereliction during 2017. The purpose of this proposal is not to suggest that any particular town or area is worse than others but to try and take a proactive approach and look at measures that might lead to an improvement in a town, or a particular part of it.
The proposed approach is to go beyond the Derelict Sites Act, 1990 and to look at what practical measures could be implemented that would assist in improving the built fabric of Cork County towns. Given the number of towns across the county it was considered that by giving particular attention to one town in each Municipal District that resources could be utilised to their maximum effect.
The Municipal Districts Streetscape, Painting, Signage and Improvement Scheme 2017 includes a range of measures, including tackling dereliction with the proposed approach going beyond the Derelict Sites Act, 1990. The scheme will include:
Ø Streetscape Painting Scheme: Provision of financial assistance to assist property owners, local tidy towns groups and/ or communities, to improve the overall appearance of buildings.
Ø Shop Signage: Provision of advice and some limited financial assistance to encourage more traditional type shop fronts. The aim would be to move away from the ‘garish plastic signage’ to more traditional types that are more in line with the nature and character of towns.
Ø Derelict Sites Act: The Council will increase its activity in the identification of properties that come under the definition of dereliction. In many instances minor remedial works may be sufficient to arrest dereliction on a particular property. It should be noted that “any land which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood of the land” is deemed derelict under the Act.
