CLOSE ON €2 MILLION SECURED FOR FERMOY REGENERATION PLAN

Fermoy town centre is to see major regeneration following the announcement that close on €2 million has been secured under Category 2 of the Rural Regeneration Development Fund.

"The funding will help transform Fermoy, delivering large-scale regeneration through targeted interventions,”

Tim Lucey, Cork County Council’s chief executive said this week.

“It’s about revitalising Fermoy town centre and driving it forward. It will help bring the project through the development stage to a point where it is ready to begin work”.

The total cost of the Fermoy project is €1,925,000, with € 1,540,000 awarded under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund.

“Cork County Council will fund the remainder,” Mr Lucey explained.

While the funding has been warmly welcomed in the town, former mayor and chairman of the Enterprise Board, Mr Michael Hanley, said it is of the utmost importance that ‘this sizeable amount of money’ be wisely spent.

“It’s important that plans and ideas be sought from well respected community people to ensure that this funding is put to the best possible use. The end result should reflect and indicate the importance and history of Fermoy.

“We have a beautiful town and, in this case, it deserves a decent plan in to which the people can have an input.”

Cork East TD Seán Sherlock echoed these sentiments, insisting that full public buy-in to the plan be secured.

"Any sort of funding to enhance the town is welcome. We must be mindful, however, that any plan has the full support and buy-in from those who live in the town and frequent the town of Fermoy.

"Through public consultation, we can be assured that everyone is on the same page for regenerating and enhancing Fermoy for everybody," Deputy Sherlock said.

The Fermoy town centre renewal project is to centre around adapting and reusing historic and vacant town centre buildings in a sustainable way. Plans for a new Craft Makers Hub will also be developed as part of the project which will be led by Cork County Council in partnership with Avondhu Blackwater Partnership CLG.

Allocated under Category 2 of the Rural Regeneration Development Fund, the project will ‘develop plans for the adaptive and sustainable reuse of vacant town centre buildings to accommodate a range of uses that will address the social, economic, cultural and physical needs of the town, the development of an exemplar Craft Makers Hub, the provision of enhanced recreational facilities and placemaking and public realm enhancements’.

Fermoy Forum welcomed the news of the funding for plans to revitalise the town, describing it as ‘brilliant and exciting’.

Chairperson of Fermoy Forum, Michael Lyons, said “it’s fantastic. It will be a great boost for the town and and will help to rejuvenate Fermoy. I’m delighted that this funding has been allocated for Fermoy. Well done to everybody involved in the application process”.

Also welcoming the funding, Cork East TD James O’Connor acknowledged the work done by Cork County Council towards achieving the funding and thanked Niall Healy and his team in County Hall for putting Fermoy forward on the application.

“Fermoy has come a long way in the past 10 years with the growth of activity on the main street.

“This development will further enhance the town centre. This investment by the Government underpins ‘Our Rural Future’ and will have a transformational impact across the north Cork region.

“When complete, these projects will leave a lasting difference on areas like Fermoy for generations to come, benefitting tens of thousands of families across rural Ireland,” Deputy O’Connor said.

TOWN'S POTENTIAL

Speaking after confirmation of the funding allocation, Cork East TD David Stanton said: “This funding announcement will have enormous benefits for both Fermoy town centre and the wider area.

"The issues of rural vacancy and dereliction and the need for remote working options in these communities are matters that I have been raising with the Taoiseach and relevant ministers for some time and this significant funding announcement is testament to the enormous potential that exists to further develop Fermoy as a centre of trade and employment," Deputy Staunton noted.

Local councillor Frank O’Flynn also welcomed the funding, stating that the aim of the project is to ‘revitalise’ Fermoy town centre, highlighting both Cork County Council’s and the Government’s commitment to Fermoy town.

“As chairman of Cork County Council Economic Development Committee, I am delighted to welcome this funding. This is all about putting life back into our town centre and the main thing is that derelict buildings will be brought back to life into our town. This will go a long way to enhance the facilities in the town and will make a big difference to Fermoy in the long run,” Cllr O’Flynn said.

Pointing to the recent emphasis placed on staying and shopping locally, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, Cllr O’Flynn noted that this project would help enhance the town for shoppers, tourists and locals alike.

“It’s a major boost for Fermoy going forward. It will make Fermoy a thriving, vibrant town going forward and I look forward to working with Fermoy Forum and local businesses on this,” Cllr O’Flynn added.

OTHER ALLOCATIONS

Macroom was announced as the other Cork town successful in their application to secure funding under this scheme, allocated €494,000 towards a project to develop plans to revitalise the centre of the town.

In County Waterford, Dungarvan received funding to the tune of €1,743,528 for a project to provide a Digital Transformation Hub, by renovating three town centre buildings.

In Tipperary, Nenagh was successful in achieving funding of €1,511,059 towards a Rialto Digital and Enterprise Hub in a disused cinema, while €750,000 was announced towards two greenway hubs at Ardagh and Abbeyfeale in County Limerick.