Grants of up to €8,000 available to improve street facades and shopfronts in five Kilkenny towns

The Streetscape Enhancement Initiative will provide funding to property owners to improve the street facades and shopfronts of their buildings in the form of grants for up to €8,000. 

The property can be either residential or commercial. The scheme is funded by the Department of Rural & Community Development as part of “Our Rural Future”, the Government’s five-year strategy to revitalise rural Ireland.

Welcoming this initiative, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Fidelis Doherty said:  “The Council are delighted to be associated with this initiative which will be a great boost to our local communities and will further enhance our rural towns and villages making them vibrant, attractive and welcoming places to live, work and visit.  This year has been particularly difficult for businesses and communities.  Following on from the Outdoor Dining Scheme which has been very successful, the Streetscape Enhancement Scheme is just a further example of the Council’s ongoing investment in Kilkenny through community and business supports and infrastructure development to stimulate business confidence and help communities recover.”

The scheme applies to the following towns/villages in County Kilkenny: Thomastown, Mullinavat, Goresbridge, Castlecomer       and Urlingford.

The types of projects that could be support include:

- Strategic collaboration between property owners to paint buildings or shopfronts
- Commissioning of murals in towns and villages
- Upgrade or restoration of shopfronts
- Green enhancement of entrances/terraces with planting
- Illumination and lighting of architectural features
- Installation of canopies and street furniture
- Decluttering of shopfronts with removal of unnecessary signs/wires.

There are grants available for the green enhancement of entrances/terraces with planting
(€500), painting of building/shopfront in carefully selected colours which will complement the host building and streetscape mural (agreed in advance with Local Authority) (€1,500), decluttering and repair of shopfronts (decluttering can include such works as removing unnecessary signs, flagpoles, wiring etc.) (€2,000), careful illumination and lighting of architectural features of buildings (€4,000), improvements to shopfront window displays and staging, replacement of signage with traditional wooden fascia with wooden/hand painted lettering or contemporary design, canopies/awnings complementary to the materials of the shopfront and building (including street furniture), replacement of existing shopfront with traditional painted wooden shopfront or contemporary design (€8,000).
Grant funding will be provided at 70%, 80% or 100%, depending on works and numbers of premises involved. Completed application forms should be emailed to:streetscape@kilkennycoco.ie .    The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Tuesday, September 7.