Deputy Mayor of Derry extends warm welcome for built heritage funding award

INNER CITY TRUST GETS SHARE OF £5M. . . . . .The Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jason Barr congratulating Helen Quigley, Inner City Trust on the Trust receiving a share of £5m funding for heritage restoration. The monies will help to breathe new life into the disused and at-risk historic buildings throughout the city. Included from left are Tony Monaghan, Regeneration Manager, DCSDC, Rev. Robert Millar, Chair, ICT, Karen Philips, Director of Environment and Regeneration at DCSDC and John Meehan. Inner City Trust.

The programme, led by Derry's Inner City Trust, is one of a number of successful funding awards announced last week by the Architectural Heritage Fund throughout the UK, and the only award made in Northern Ireland under the current round of funding.

The funding award of £170k will be used to assist the Inner City Trust in developing a programme which will identify eligible target heritage buildings in the City deemed to be at risk. The programme will provide dedicated technical resources to assist in carrying out technical surveys/assessments as well as assisting in the identification of capital funding resources to regenerate the target buildings once selected.

Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Councillor Jason Barr said: “I am delighted to see the award by the Architectural Heritage Fund to design a programme that will assist in identifying key eligible heritage at risk buildings in the City. The City has a diverse and rich collection of built heritage assets including listed buildings and historic city walls, so it’s encouraging to see a programme that will promote the regeneration and re-use of heritage buildings deemed to be at risk. The project aligns with the Council's Heritage Plan 2022-27 and I look forward to Council working with the Inner City Trust in the development of this exciting programme.”

Helen Quigley, Strategic Projects Advisor with the Inner City Trust, said: “I am very pleased with the announcement by the Architectural Heritage Fund to support this important programme, which will assist in undertaking the necessary preparatory technical work in identifying potential heritage buildings. The Inner City Trust has a successful track record in the design and delivery of heritage-led regeneration projects such as the Bishops Gate Hotel and that this experience will assist greatly in the development of this new and exciting programme.”