An Taoiseach, Michéal Martin TD, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, this week announced €405 million in funding for four regeneration projects in Co. Cork, with €4.7 million being earmarked for Mallow Town Centre Regeneration. The projects are being funded under ‘Call 2’ of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which part-funds projects aimed at enhancing urban areas to make them more attractive places in which to live, work, visit and invest.
With regard to Mallow, the project’s overarching aim is to stimulate town centre renewal and create a more liveable and attractive town centre. Works to be supported include:
• Mallow Castle Visitor Destination Development – appointment of a design team to progress the design and business case for the development of a visitor destination development at Mallow Castle.
• Mallow Main Street Public Realm – design team to develop an overall public realm plan for Davis Street and key laneways in Mallow town. This will animate and create an attractive, vibrant and welcoming sense of place in Mallow town centre. It will improve linkages between key services and amenities. The public realm plan will have a specific focus on developing Mallow’s overall ‘place-making’ identity through the development of key anchor, heritage-led visual interpretative elements.
• Pilot retail/commercial incubator scheme – to incentivise the establishment of new independent retailers and/or offices in Mallow town centre.
• Pilot vacant property/brownfield redevelop-ment scheme – to support the financial viability and regeneration of town centre vacant property/brownfield sites for energy efficient or zero-carbon social infrastructure develop-ments.

Mallow Development Partnership statement: The news that up to €5 million will be invested in the Mallow Regeneration Project is very welcome and is hopefully a clear signal that the town is on the verge of a recovery in its economic and social fortune. What is also clear is that the long-awaited Mallow Relief Road needs to be up and running to facilitate the works involved on the town’s main street and the preferred route for the relief road is due to be confirmed in mid/late summer.
Taken together with recent Cork County Council announcements of funding for Mallow Castle and Park, the Tip O’Neill Park and the Town Hall, this project will give a much-needed confidence boost to the Business, Heritage and Cultural interests in the area.
In addition, there is the opportunity and indeed the necessity of further state investment over the next seven years under its Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) with the possibility also of significant private investment being attracted.
These encouraging developments can help to re-affirm Mallow as a strategic Hub Town under the National Planning Framework and position the town as one of the key economic drivers in the region.

Statement from Cllr Gearoid Murphy: “This is huge news for Mallow town and the projects address key issues which I and my colleagues have been highlighting over the last few years. In particular, the pilot programmes will help to tackle dereliction in the town centre and will provide much-needed support for local, homegrown businesses in Mallow. The money will also allow for the improvement of the streetscape on the Main Street including the footpaths, which is very important. I would like to commend the council officials for the Trojan work they have done in applying for this funding and I am really looking forward to seeing these projects delivered.”

Statement from Cllr Tony O’Shea: “It’s very welcome that Mallow has been allocated € 4.7 million for town regeneration works under this fund. Mallow is an important town in North Cork and within the Munster region. Allocations made through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund will ensure that these urban areas remain attractive and vibrant places to live and work into the future. I look forward to seeing the works in Mallow commence in the very near future.”

Statement from Cllr Pat Hayes: This funding will strengthen Mallow as a key town in the county. I wish to thank Cork Co. Council Senior Executive Mary Hayes and her team for the many hours that she put into putting this application together. Without their dedication this would not have succeeded,” said Cllr Hayes.