Grants for built and historic heritage

THE Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has announced funding allocations for Wicklow County Council for 2020, through the Historic Structures Fund and Built Heritage Investment Schemes.

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) support the owners and custodians of protected structures in the county as they carry out small-scale, labour-intensive projects to repair and conserve our historic built environment. The projects will also provide vital support for local jobs in conservation, traditional skills and construction.

A funding allocation of €60,000 has been made for County Wicklow under the BHIS, which will be allocated to successful applicants on a match funding basis of 50 per cent, with individual grants of between €2,500 and €15,000. There is also a new small scale allocation to fund routine maintenance.

Grants under the HSF will be larger, with a focus on caring for and restoring historic structures and buildings for the benefit of communities and the public. There is no set allocation for County Wicklow under the HSF, but projects are invited under two streams. Stream 1 will offer grants from €15,000 up to €50,000 and Stream 2 will offer a small number of grants nationally from €50,000 up to €200,000.

Application forms and further information about each of the schemes is available at www.wicklow.ie. Applications may be made by post or email and the deadline for both schemes is January 31.

Multiple applications for the same structure under the BHIS and the HSF will not be considered.

The Record of Protected Structures for Wicklow may be viewed at www.wicklow.ie/planning/conservation-built-heritage.

Application forms are available by request from the Planning Office on 0404 20148 or plandev@ wicklowcoco.ie. Queries on the scheme may be addressed to Heritage Officer Deirdre Burns at dburns@wicklowcoco.ie.