A new scheme that will provide a grant of up to €5,000 to cover the cost of obtaining “expert conservation advice” for owners, who want to bring vacant traditional houses back into use, has been launched today (Friday, June 28).
The Conservation Advice Grant Scheme launched by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage follows on from a pilot scheme last year.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, said today that he was was delighted to announce the expansion of the conservation grants to a “wider range of historic buildings in both urban and rural areas”.
“In addition to supporting the conservation of important and historically neglected parts of our traditional building stock, this expansion will also contribute to our broader efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction, and to the achievement of the actions and objectives being pursued under the framework of Heritage Ireland 2030 and Housing for All,” the minister said.
According to the Department of Housing the new grant scheme is primarily to support owners of traditional houses who are in receipt of or considering the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant to bring vacant or derelict buildings back into residential use.
Grant
The Conservation Advice Grant Scheme will provide grants to cover 67% of the costs – up to a maximum grant of €5,000 – of hiring a conservation expert with “proven and appropriate expertise” to visit a vacant or derelict traditional building, conduct a survey, and compile tailored conservation advice for the property owner.
The Department of Housing said this expert advice should include a report which “outlines the condition of the building and identifies conservation repairs and improvements which would restore it to use while enhancing its character, energy efficiency, integrity, and amenity”.
It has also outlined that there are two different “streams” in relation to the grant which sets out which buildings may qualify for the grant:
Stream 1 of the scheme is open to owners of vacant traditional houses in villages, towns and cities where the building is a protected structure or an historic structure within an Architectural Conservation Area.
“Residential houses and commercial buildings qualify for the scheme where the intended use is as a single dwelling or a single dwelling over a shop. This grant scheme has been devised to support the Town Centre First and Housing for All policy programmes,” the Department of Housing stated.
Stream 2 of the scheme is open to owners of Vacant traditional farmhouses where the building is a protected structure or an historic farmhouse located within an Architectural Conservation Area or a vernacular farmhouse which has no statutory protection.