Minister Rabbitte welcomes €100,000 funding for Gort under Government’s first ever Town Centre First Plan

by | Dec 13, 2021 | Gort, Our Rural Future, Town Centre First | 0 comments

Minister for Disabilities and Fianna Fáil TD for Galway East, Anne Rabbitte, has today welcomed the allocation of €100,000 to Gort as part of the Government’s first ever Town Centre First Plans, which will be key to tackling dereliction and revitalising town centres.

As part of the initiative, 26 towns across Ireland have been allocated the funding to develop a unique master plan. In the case of county Galway, Gort has been chosen.

Galway County Council will now work closely with local community groups, retailers and the other members of the ‘Town Team’ in devising and delivering on the objectives of a masterplan for the town.

This initiative is a key part of Our Rural Future – the Government’s ambitious five-year strategy designed to reimagine and revitalise Rural Ireland. It is also linked to the Government’s ‘Housing for All’ strategy and the forthcoming ‘Town Centre First Policy’, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Welcoming the funding on Thursday, Minister Rabbitte said: “

I am really delighted to see Gort chosen as one of the first towns to receive €100,000 as part of the Town Centre First Plans to develop its own unique master plan.

The aim of this is to reimagine and revitalise Gort as it has so much potential that has gone untapped. A masterplan for the town will give it the boost it needs for the years ahead.

We need to ensure Gort has the right plan in place to tackle the issues of dereliction, vacant properties, and above all, to become better place to live, work and run a business. Gort and towns and villages like it are where we live, work, shop and socialise. It is important that we ensure our towns and villages remain vibrant, vital, and relevant places.

And she concluded:

Each town has its own strengths and faces different challenges. No ‘one size fits all’ policy will work so it’s important we map out Gort’s future path. The Plan will be developed in tandem with a Town Team that is representative of the area and who can bring a wealth of knowledge and local expertise.The development of the Plan will feed into the Government’s overall Town Centre First Policy, which will be launched in the coming weeks.