15 May 2021
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
There are many roads in rural areas that are not actually public. These private roads are usually quite short and link a collection of houses with a nearby main road.
A total of €920,000 in funding has been allocated to Local Improvement Schemes (LIS) for works on non-public roads in Cork County, according to Cork East Fine Gael TD, David Stanton. The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) funding is made available by the Department of Rural and Community Development to local authorities to support repairs and improvement works to rural roads which are not maintained publicly.
Speaking after the 2021 Local Improvement Scheme allocations were announced, Deputy Stanton said: “This year’s LIS allocation sees a slight rise in Cork’s overall funding to €920,000 under the scheme which will greatly aid the improvement of rural access roads around the County. Such monies are in addition to Cork County Council’s 2021 allocation of €66.6 million for local and regional road works announced by the Department of Transport earlier this year, a figure which represents a 15% increase on 2020.
“The total nationwide LIS allocation available to local authorities has increased to €10.5 million this year as part of the Government’s ‘Our Rural Future’ plan with Cork County receiving the largest tranche of funding. This will be highly beneficial in allowing for the upkeep of small rural roads and lanes leading to homes, businesses or local amenities which are not maintained by Cork County Council”, said David Stanton.
The LIS was reintroduced by the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2017 with funding of over €68 million being granted to authorities for the repair of almost 2,400 roads in that time. Under the terms of the scheme, the Department provides the majority of the funding for the road improvements, with the remaining contribution coming from local residents, or local authorities in the case of roads leading to public amenities.
“The significant LIS funding allocations are recognition of the importance of non-public rural roads in connecting local communities and improving trade and recreational activities. Those considering submitting an application for Local Improvement Scheme funding should contact Cork County Council for further information”, concluded David Stanton.
