West Limerick Resources - "Committed to the Community"

Conservation & Upgrading of Rural Heritage

Rural heritage resources - be they natural, built or cultural in form, must be developed and utilised in a sustainable manner, by and for, the good of the community of West Limerick.  The objective of this measure is to provide an integrated approach to the protection of the local heritage through a suite of related preservation actions, complemented by a range of initiatives designed to develop the sustainable economic contribution of the natural heritage.

Eligible activities include but are not limited to:

• Actions to preserve and develop vernacular architecture, crafts, archaeology, cultural traditions etc.

• Integrated plans for the restoration and development of locally significant natural areas, features and areas of environmental significance.

• Community environmental actions to protect and restore the amenity value of local water resources and high value nature areas.

• Other environmental initiatives aimed at waste reduction.

• Alternative or renewable energy actions addressing suitability of new technologies to meet community energy needs, awareness actions for community groups and under certain conditions, capital assistance to community groups adopting such technology.

• Renewable Energy Initiatives in this regard must be community focused and the emphasis is equally on the environmental protection of the rural area involved.  Many such sustainable energy initiatives will by their very nature be located in areas of high nature value so there is a natural linkage between them under this heading.

Ineligible activities

• Conservation and protection of National Monuments, so defined under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2004.

Support rate for community organisations

• For capital and other projects 75% with a maximum grant of up to €150,000 with the exception of Analysis and Development which may receive 90% support with a maximum grant of €30,000.

If you have a project idea and would like to discuss it in more detail, please contact:

Suzanne Rowley, RDP Project Officer - 069 79114 or e-mail srowley@wlr.ie

or

Tim Coffey, Renewable Energy Development Project Officer - 069 66296 or email tcoffey@wlr.ie