The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced that the very successful Built Heritage Investment Scheme and Structures at Risk Fund will operate again in 2018.
Funding for Conservation of Heritage Buildings
Funding Announced for Conservation of Heritage Buildings
The Masonic Hall, The Mall, Sligo received an allocation of €20,000 under the Structures at Risk Fund in 2017
The two schemes will provide €3.3 million in investment in 2018 for the repair and conservation of protected structures. These schemes supported more than 500 projects across the country in 2017 and helped to provide employment in the conservation and construction industries.
Minister Humphreys said:
“This investment of €3.3 million in the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and Structures at Risk Fund will encourage the investment of private capital in small-scale, labour-intensive projects to repair and conserve historic structures. This will improve the appearance and structure of historic buildings across the country and will also support jobs in the conservation and construction industries.“Well-maintained historic buildings contribute positively to the vitality of our cities, towns, villages and countryside. Local communities have a great sense of pride in their built heritage, which in turn can help to provide an important source of local employment by boosting tourism.
Councillor Seamus Kilgannon, Cathaoirleach of Sligo Council and Chair of Sligo Heritage Forum welcomed the announcement by saying,
‘in 2017, over €130,000 allocated in Sligo under the two grant schemes to the benefit of 14 building conservation projects across the county. The schemes have been a great success and are an important measure in regenerating urban and rural areas, and will come as a welcome boost to the custodians of heritage properties.’
Scheme documents for 2018 available to date are below. Further details will be published when available.
Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2018 (BHIS)
All works carried out under the BHIS must be capital works. Full details of all requirements are provided in Circular BHIS 18/1. The BHIS will operate in 2018 with funding available to the amount of €2,000,000 nationally. The amount available to each Local Authority has not yet been published. The total funding available for each individual project cannot exceed 50% of the total project cost.
The minimum funding available under the BHIS will be €2,500 up to a maximum grant of €15,000. Full details of the scheme and the application form are available to download below.
Completed applications shall be marked ‘Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2018’ and submitted in hard copy only to: The Heritage Office, Sligo County Council, City Hall, Quay Street, Sligo.
The deadline for submission of completed applications is 4pm, Wednesday, 31st January 2018.
Downloads
Full Scheme Terms and Conditions: BHIS 2018 Circular - November 2017 (PDF) - 595 kbs
Details of works which qualify for funding: BHIS 2018 Appendix I – Qualifying and Non Qualifying Works (PDF) - 254 kbs
Application Form: BHIS 2018 Appendix II – Application Form A (PDF) - 338 kbs
Structures at Risk Fund 2018 (SRF)
All works carried out under the SRF must be capital works. Only structures or parts of structures in immediate danger of significant deterioration will qualify for consideration for funding. The SRF will operate in 2018 with funding available to the amount of €1,324,000; €74,000 of which will be allocated for funding towards the type of house covered by An Action Plan for the Sustainable Future of the Irish Historic House, launched in 2015. Due to the limited resources available for the operation of the scheme in 2018, DCHG will consider four applications per local authority, only one of which may be a publicly-owned building. A fifth application may be made if it relates to an Irish Historic House in private ownership. The total funding available for each individual project shall not exceed 80% of the total project cost. The minimum funding available under the SRF will be €15,000 up to a maximum grant of €30,000. The minimum funding available for a fifth project in respect of a historic house in private ownership will be €5,000 up to a maximum of €10,000. Full details of the scheme and the application form are available to download below.
Completed applications shall be marked ‘Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2018’ and submitted in hard copy only to: The Heritage Office, Sligo County Council, City Hall, Quay Street, Sligo.
The deadline for submission of completed applications is 4pm, Wednesday, 31st January 2018.
Downloads
Full Scheme Terms and Conditions: SRF 2018 - Circular (PDF) - 524 kbs
Application Form: SRF 2018 - Appendix 1 – Application Form A – Owner Applicant (PDF) - 422 kbs
Any queries can be directed by email to: Siobhán Ryan, Heritage Officer, Sligo County Council at Email: heritage@sligococo.ie