*Photograph: John Mangan
VACANT and under-utilised heritage and historic buildings in Ennis town centre are to be examined for potential community use.
On Tuesday, elected members of the Ennis Municipal District were briefed on Clare County Council’s participation in the Thrive Scheme.
Funded by government under the ERDF Regional Programmes through the Southern Regional Assembly, the THRIVE Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme supports local authorities and their citizens to regenerate town centres by transforming publicly owned vacant, under-utilised or derelict heritage buildings within key town centres through renovation, renewal, and adaptive reuse. It will deliver on policies set out in the National Planning Framework and Southern Regional Spatial Economic Strategy.
Local authorities will be provided with funding under the Thrive Scheme to carry out a study into renovating, refurbishing and adapting one vacant and derelict heritage building in their town centres. Heritage buildings under the scheme are classified as structures that form part of the architectural heritage and have unique architectural, historical, archaeological or artistic qualities, or are linked to the cultural and economic history of a place.
As part of the process, tenders are being sought from experienced and qualified consultants to create a new Integrated Urban Strategy for Clare County Council, focused on heritage properties, which will identify and prioritise projects that encourage the conservation and adaptive reuse of Ennis’ extensive built heritage, and address vacancy and dereliction in the Town Centre.
Action 21 of the Ennis 2040 plan seeks to showcase the heritage and architecture of the county town, this will be delivered on as part of the scheme.
Officials in Clare County Council are targeting the appointment of a successful consultancy team next month ahead of a stakeholder and citizen workshop where a selection of heritage buildings will be presented for consideration.
In October, a draft strategy and proposed heritage project will be presented to elected members of the Ennis MD and the public ahead of the submission of a Part 8 planning application and an application for THRIVE funding in 2025.
Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) explained, “The primary goal of this new scheme is to inject new life into the heart of Ennis, so that it can function as the sustainable and vibrant heart of the community it serves”.
She said, “It is important that we, through collaborative stakeholder engagement, avail of this funding scheme to deliver a transformative project that benefits our town centre and the wider community. The Elected Members will also play their part by supporting heritage-led regeneration and tackling vacancy as part of the delivery of the Town Centre First policy”.
Carmel Kirby, Director of Economic Development and Ennis MD said the Integrated Urban Strategy, the development of which is a listed action of the Ennis 2040 Economic and Spatial Strategy, will focus on the town’s heritage and architecture and will support adaptive reuse of one vacant or under-utilised heritage buildings at a local level. “The objective of this strategy is to preserve the county’s distinctive cultural and environmental assets, promote economic growth, and enhance the quality of life through sustainable urban development. Clare County Council looks forward to working with all stakeholders in identifying projects that will positively impact local businesses and further enhance the town’s appeal to residents, visitors and potential investors”.
Joan Tarmey, Town Regeneration Officer for Clare County Council commented, “The town’s successful participation in THRIVE will depend on the extent to which local stakeholders, property owners and the people of Ennis engage with Clare County Council in delivering this Integrated Urban Strategy focused on heritage buildings that deliver a significant and long-lasting positive impact on our town centre. There is an opportunity here to return a vacant heritage building back into use, whilst addressing community needs. The community and stakeholder engagement will be important in giving the people of Ennis a voice in the selection of a heritage building and its end use”.
Visit https://yoursay.clarecoco.ie/ for more on THRIVE Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme for Ennis.
