'No budget' to run successful Mid Ulster spruce-up scheme

During a meeting of the committee on Wednesday, April 5, members of the committee were provided with an evaluation report on phase four of the scheme which ran across the 2022/23 financial year.

The scheme offers discretionary grants of up to 75 per cent of eligible costs, capped at £5,000 per property for external and/or internal improvements.

It was available to both occupied and commercial premises, including vacant / derelict units within the town centre boundary of each of the towns and the development limits of eligible villages.

The eligible villages were determined by the Mid Ulster settlement report within the draft local development plan (2030) which was published in 2019 with the village of Moygashel also deemed eligible.

In phase four, 29 applicants accepted letters of offer and completed works to the value of grant aid of £104,425.15.

In phase one, which ran from 2019-2020, 32 applicants completed works to the value of grant aid of £115,908.67. In phase two, which ran from 2020-21, 72 applicants accepted letters of offer and completed works to the value of grant aid of £251,247.63.

In phase three, which ran from 2021-22, 67 applicants accepted letters of offer and completed works to the value of £227,873.07.

In total, from 2019-2023, the scheme resulted in £699,454.52 of grant aid awarded to 200 properties across the district. It also generated additional private sector leverage funding of £427,097.85 across the five year period.

Despite the success of the scheme, the council’s assistant director of economy, tourism and strategic performance, Fiona McKeown, told the committee there was no money available to run the scheme in the 2023-24 financial year.

“There are no current plans [to run the scheme this financial year],” said Ms McKeown.

“We don’t have the budget to deliver anything with the various cuts we have had so the budget has reduced significantly.

“It is always something we will try and keep in mind and look for other funding opportunities but at this point in time we don’t have the budget to run it ourselves.”