Fingal County Council is inviting applications under a number of schemes for repairs or conservation projects within the Fingal area – closing date FRIDAY 28th JANUARY 2022
Fingal County Council is inviting applications under a number of schemes for repairs or conservation projects within the Fingal area – closing date FRIDAY 28th JANUARY 2022
Fingal County Council is now inviting applications under a number of schemes for works to be done in 2022 for small, medium or large-scale repairs or conservation projects to Protected Structures and in certain circumstances to buildings that enhance Architectural Conservation Areas within the Fingal area.
In 2021 almost €185,500 in funding was allocated through Fingal County Council to thirteen Stitch in Time grants, eight structures under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and three projects under the Historic Structures Fund to assist the repair and safeguarding of the architectural heritage of Fingal. For owners carrying out routine maintenance or small repairs to the historic fabric of their homes Fingal County Council’s own Stitch in Time scheme offers grants between €100 to €2,500. For more substantial works funding is available through the Built Heritage Investment Scheme or the Historic Structures Fund. The Historic Structures Fund also allows for specific applications for the conservation of a vernacular structure that is not a Protected Structure and for the refurbishment of a historic shopfront or traditional Irish Language shopfront.
Funding is available for projects to take place in 2022 under the following schemes:
- Architectural Heritage Fund’s “Stitch in Time Grant” 2022
- Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2022
- Historic Structures Fund 2022 (including sub-streams for Historic Shopfronts/Traditional Irish Language Shopfronts and for Vernacular Structures)
The Architectural Conservation Officer Helena Bergin states “It was very challenging to complete many projects in 2021 with restrictions earlier in the year that closed down building projects, leading to difficulties later on with the availability of contractors and with the sourcing of some materials. However, those projects that did progress utilised appropriate materials and methods to correctly repair and conserve their homes or properties extending out the longevity of these buildings and in doing so helped contribute to reducing Fingal’s carbon footprint through the retention, re-use and maintenance of the existing building stock. There needs to be a re-focus and re-examination of the benefit of older buildings to our environment, to quantify and appreciate the embodied carbon within them. There is a much-repeated quote from the American architect, Carl Elefante that ‘The greenest building is the one that already exists’. The conservation grant schemes play their part in ensuring these buildings not only exist but are maintained, upgraded and improved.”
The conservation funding schemes exist to aid owners with the appropriate detailing and correct methods to repair the historic materials used in older buildings such as lime, stone, hand-made brick, thatch, natural slate, and historic joinery as the use of modern rigid and non-breathable materials such as concrete and plastics can do more harm than good.
CLOSING DATE: The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has outlined that the closing date for the Built Heritage Investment Scheme & Historic Structures Fund should be no later than 31 January and so Fingal County Council is setting its closing date to 5PM FRIDAY 28 JANUARY 2022. Application forms for all three schemes are available on Fingal County Council website and completed applications should be sent to the Architectural Conservation Officer of Fingal County Council at helena.bergin@fingal.ie . A decision will issue to all applications following provisional approval of successful applications by the Department.
Please note that applicants cannot avail of funding under both the Historic Structures Fund and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme in the same year and so should only apply for one scheme.
To apply see:
- Architectural Heritage Fund’s “Stitch in Time Grant” 2022 Architectural Heritage Fund Stitch In Time Grant
- Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2022 Built Heritage-Investment-Scheme
- Historic Structures Fund 2022 Historic Structures Fund