Carrickmacross Among 26 Towns in Plan to Fill Empty Shopfronts
Minister of State for Retail Alan Dillon has proposed a Vacant to Vibrant programme for 26 Town Centre First towns, including Carrickmacross. Councils and Local Enterprise Offices would match empty premises with new businesses.
By the Monaghan Brief staff·Edited by Seamus McKenna·Published · 2 min read
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Castle Leslie, Glaslough. Archive location photograph; not a photo of the events in this story. Olliebailie · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and colour-graded; cropped in layout.
Carrickmacross is one of 26 towns named in a proposed national plan to turn vacant shopfronts into new local businesses, RTÉ News reports.
Minister of State for Retail Alan Dillon has proposed the Vacant to Vibrant Retail Activation Programme. It would initially focus on the 26 designated Town Centre First towns. RTÉ lists Carrickmacross among them, along with nearby Bailieborough and Dunleer.
How it would work
Local authorities, Town Regeneration Officers and Local Enterprise Offices would work together to identify empty commercial premises, engage with property owners and connect entrepreneurs with suitable locations, The Mayo News reports.
Each town would identify priority vacant premises and the types of businesses and services most needed locally. Tailored plans would follow, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Prospective business owners would be linked with existing Local Enterprise Office supports, including mentoring, financial planning, digitalisation, energy efficiency and marketing. They would also get practical advice before committing to a lease.
The Government would work across departments on planning, commercial rates, temporary uses and regeneration. It would also look at how shopfront improvement schemes and targeted rates incentives could do more.
What the minister said
«Nobody benefits from an empty shopfront. Empty premises do not create jobs, attract customers or support local communities,» Mr Dillon said, according to The Mayo News. He said the 26 towns were a starting point and that he wanted to see the approach expanded over time to principal shopping streets, retail centres and market towns in every county.
The programme is a proposal. No timeline or funding figure has been given in the reports.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
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