Huge disappointment in Tipperary Town as funding bid is unsuccessful
Disappointment has been expressed by members of Tipperary Town Revitalisation Task Force upon learning that a major funding bid entitled ‘Tipperary Town Revitalisation: Phase 1’ submitted to the Department of Rural & Community Development under Category 2 of the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund 2021 was unsuccessful.
The proposal was a collaboration between Tipp County Council (project lead), Tipperary Town Revitalisation Task Force (TTR TF), Youth Work Ireland Tipperary (YWIT), Tipperary Education and Training Board (TETB), Canon Hayes Recreation Centre (CHRC), Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), and Tipperary Racecourse.
The bid included three key elements including the refurbishment and repurposing of Dan Breen House as a new Youth & Further Education and Training Centre, the refurbishment and modernisation of Canon Hayes Recreation Centre and the development of an Equine and Outdoor Activity Experience at Tipperary Racecourse. Funding had been sought to bring them to shovel readiness through detailed design and planning.
TTR TF Chairperson Carmel Fox stated that ‘while the news was a setback, the Task Force has resolved it would not deter it from its work. The projects put forward are among the priority actions arising through the consultations that were carried out through 2020-21 and form part of our Draft Strategy and Action Plan for the town that was published recently. I wish to thank all of our partners for the tremendous work they put in preparing this bid. Our focus now will be to try to understand why the bid was not successful and to take that learning forward. There will be further opportunities to apply for supports under a broad range of funds in the future and we will continue to progress the various actions within our plan in order to progress the revitalisation of the town’.
Looking ahead towards 2022, Tipperary Town Revitalisation Manager Michael Begley points to some of ‘the priorities for the Task Force include the delivery of the new Tipperary ENGINE Digital Hub and Innovation Centre due for completion in April, a new design project for the public park at ‘The Plan’ that will get underway shortly, progression of an extensive creative programme for the town, a public art festival during the summer and energy and enterprise strategies for the town among other initiatives. Each project undertaken requires extensive planning and preparation as we bid into the various competitive supports that are available’. The Task Force is also working to secure additional resources to address the deeply damaging social exclusion issues that prevail in the town and is in discussions with numerous agencies that work in this area.
The Task Force is due to publish its full Strategy and Action Plan in March following on from a draft released in late 2021 and a subsequent public consultation.