€405,000 allocated to develop skate park on site of former Longford Greyhound track

Longford has been granted €405,000 towards the development of a ‘Skate and Recreational Park’ within Longford town along the proposed future town cycleway and within immediate vicinity to the existing Royal Canal Greenway. While Granard has also been allocated €100,00 through the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has this morning announced over €27 million in funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme that will combat dereliction and breathe new life into rural towns and villages.

The package announced by Minister Humphreys comprises 4 Strands:

· €17 million investment in 75 Town and Village Projects nationwide;

· €6 million in funding to purchase and re-develop vacant and derelict buildings and convert them into community facilities;

· €2.6 million to upgrade the shopfronts and building facades in 26 towns under the Streetscape Enhancement Measure;

· €1.56 million for planning and design works on a range of projects that are at an early stage of development.

The €405,000 towards the development of Longford's  ‘Skate and Recreational Park’ is coming from the €17 million funding under the standard Town and Village Renewal Scheme. 

While Granard has been allocated €100,00 through the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative. It is one of 26 towns selected and under the initiative, retailers and property owners will be provided with grants that they can use to improve the facades of their buildings, carry out artwork or install features such as street furniture or canopies.

Minister Humphreys stated, “I am delighted to announce a record €27 million in funding under my Department’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

“This is all about tackling the scourge of vacancy and dereliction in our rural towns and villages. It’s about taking old buildings and giving them a new lease of life. And it’s about rejuvenating the centre of our towns by developing public plazas, town parks, community gardens and sports facilities for the benefit of local families.

Senator Micheál Carrigy welcomed the news of the €405k in funding to develop the skate park on the site of the former Longford Greyhound track.

He said, "This is a project that I and my colleagues Cllr John Browne, Cllr Gerard Hagan and in particular Cllr Peggy Nolan have worked on and advocated for many years. 

"I would also like to pay tribute to Longford Town Skatepark Committee and local group who have been campaigning for this skatepark in Longford for many years now. This will be a massive advantage for our town and I look forward to seeing additional applications being submitted to turn this into a recreational and amenity site for the people of Longford."

Senator Carrigy also welcomed the positive news for Granard. "The €100k funding for Granard under the Streetscape Enhancement Measure will be used to assist with the upgrade of shopfronts and building facades in the town. This will be welcome news for the many businesses, tidy town team and residents who work so hard to keep Granard looking so well."