Plan to spruce up towns and target derelict site owners

A SCHEME designed to give a facelift to towns including Macroom was launched recently.

The Blarney/Macroom Municipal District Streetscape, Painting, Signage and Improvement Scheme 2017 was launched by Cllr Bob Ryan in Macroom. 

At the launch were other members of the municipal district, Cllr Ted Lucey, Cllr Michael Creed and Cllr Kevin Conway, together with members of Macroom Tidy Towns Committee, Martin Coughlan and John Lyons.

Each municipal district identified a town where it will place a particular emphasis during the year. The purpose of this proposal is not to suggest that any particular town or area is worse than others, but to try and take a proactive approach and look at measures that might lead to an improvement in a town, or a particular part of it.

It will focus on Castle St and New St in Macroom, and will include the provision of financial assistance to assist property owners, local tidy towns groups or community groups, to improve the overall appearance of buildings.

There will be advice and some limited financial assistance to encourage more traditional-type shop fronts. The aim would be to move away from garish plastic signage to more traditional types that are more in line with the nature and character of towns.

Under the Derelict Sites Act, the Council will increase its activity in the identification of properties that come under the definition of dereliction. In many instances minor remedial works may be sufficient to arrest dereliction on a particular property. Property owners should be aware that ‘any land which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood of the land’ is deemed derelict under the Act.

Interested applicants should contact the Municipal District office in Town Hall in Macroom.