11 June 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht has approved total funding of €192,000 for the maintenance of historic and protected structures in Cork East under the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS).
The Historic Structures Fund (HSF), which has two separate funding streams, was established to enable the conservation and enhancement of historic structures and buildings for the benefit of communities and the public. Stream 1 offers grants of between €15,000 and €50,000 for the repair of heritage structures while Stream 2 provides funding of €50,000 to €200,000 for larger heritage structure enhancement, refurbishment or reuse projects. Two projects in Cork East have been recommended for funding as part of this year’s HSF allocation:
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Myrtle Grove, Emmet Place, Youghal – installation of carefully routed electrical system through existing historic fabric and repair of several existing timber framed single glazed windows at second floor level – €20,000
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Saint George’s Arts and Heritage Centre, George Street, Mitchelstown – re-covering of the roof with natural slate to address widespread water ingress – €116,000 (funding amount to be split equally between 2020 and 2021).
The remainder of the funding allocated to Cork East projects has been approved by the Department as part of this year’s Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS). The BHIS provides funding of between €2,500 and €15,000 for the repair and conservation of structures that are protected under the Planning and Development Acts. Four protected structures in Cobh, Mallow and Rathcormac have been approved funding for structural repairs while grants have also been allocated to St. John the Baptist Church in Midleton for window repairs and to the former Christ Church in Rathcormac for rainwater goods and stone repairs.
David Stanton TD
Speaking after the funding allocations were confirmed, Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice & Equality, David Stanton, said
“I am pleased to see that the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht has announced considerable funding for the repair and maintenance of a variety of heritage buildings throughout Cork East. The funding granted to Cork County Council and local custodians of historic and protected structures as part of the Historic Structures Fund and Built Heritage Investment Scheme allocations will enable small-scale, labour-intensive repair projects to be carried on these important local buildings.”
“As the phased reopening of the economy continues under the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, I would hope that many of these repair projects would begin to be undertaken without further delay. Given the nature of the projects, I am certain that they will provide further employment opportunities for local small businesses, conservation and traditional skill specialists and tradespeople involved in heritage-related construction activity. These heritage schemes play an important role in ensuring the regeneration of local town and village infrastructure and the safeguarding of the community’s built heritage”
