Galway facelift plan in pipeline

The City Manager has been invited to meet with Finance Minister Michael Noonan to discuss an urban regeneration plan targeted at certain parts of Galway that have suffered most from the economic downturn.

The project, confirmed by Government, will see tax-breaks and other relief incentives targeted at inner-city retail and residential areas that are suffering from ‘urban decay’.

The plan that aims to revive the city centre will be discussed by Brendan McGrath and Minister Noonan before the end of January, it has been confirmed. 

The idea is to rejuvenate the city and attract more residents back to living in the city centre as well as reviving the central businesses.

It will target in particular run-down and dilapidated vacant residential and business buildings in need of refurbishment.

The initiative has been a hailed success in Waterford and Limerick where it was first introduced on a pilot basis, to revive the city centres and reverse urban decay.

The scheme was targeted at the most disadvantaged areas of those cities, where unemployment was particularly a problem. It will now be extended to include Galway as well as Dublin, Cork and Kilkenny.

Minister Noonan and his department confirmed to Galway West TD, Brian Walsh, that the Galway element of the scheme is being progressed.

“A letter was sent to the four relevant city managers this week calling them to a meeting with the Department of Finance and a number of relevant government agencies to decide on the criteria and boundaries for areas to be included in the Living City Initiative,” said Deputy Walsh.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.