Castlecomer bridge hits stumbling block despite €100k grant

The Castlecomer pedestrian bridge has hit a stumbling block due to the project costing an estimated €369,000 and a “shortfall in funding”.

An application was put in under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for €200,000 to provide a pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the River Deen linking Castlecomer Discovery Park with the town.

The application received a grant of €100,000 and design options are now currently being examined “so as to reduce costs”.

Senior Executive Officer in the Community Section of Kilkenny County Council, Michael Delahunty, said: “The estimated cost of the pedestrian bridge is €369,000. The Council applied for a grant of €200,000 towards the costs of this very worthwhile project.

“The Council was offered the sum of €100,000 grant. The offer of the grant is not causing difficulty - it is the shortfall in funding which is the challenge. We currently do not have the balance of the funds.

"We are currently trying to see how the proposed bridge could be funded, including an examination of the design options so as to reduce costs. We are also looking at other sources of funding.”

Up to 80% of the total cost of a project under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme will be provided for any individual project.

Kilkenny County Council was successful in eleven out of the thirteen applications for funding and overall they shared €873,346 under the latest round of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.