Page 11 - Chief Executive Report - April 2022
P. 11

PLANNING



        Conservation                                             The Built Heritage Investment Scheme en-
        The Conservation Office manages all protected structures  courages applications for repairs to historic
        in Kilkenny County and City. These structures are        fabric of protected structures and proposed
        recognised for the following special interest: Architectural,  protected structures. A total of 21 applications
        Historical, Archaeological, Artistic, Cultural, Scientific,   have been received by Kilkenny County Council
        Technical, Social.                                       for works to architectural heritage in Kilkenny.

        Update on the Historic Structures Fund and the Built     Following assessment, 17 projects have re-
        Heritage Investment Scheme as follows:                   ceived grant approval. The works include thatch,
                                                                 render, roof and roof features repair. The total
        The Historic Structures Fund provides an opportunity     funding for Kilkenny is €156,800 in 2022.
        for home owners to apply for funding for large scale
        repair works to protected structures. The national budget  Following an offer of additional funding under the
        for the fund has increased from €3 million in 2021 to    BHIS from the DHLGH, the Conservation Office
        €4million in 2022. A total of 11 grant applications were   is now in discussions with two applicants which
        received for the HSF in Kilkenny.  The table below details
        the successful projects.                                 Historic Towns Initiative 2022: Following a
                                                                 successful application, €10,000 has been
         Stream 1      DHLGH          Vernacular  DHLGH          secured from the Heritage Council. This funding
                       Decision       Grant        Decision      is specifically for the appointment a conservation
         Four          Following      One          Following     architect to work with owners of a minimum of
                                                                 three building located in Upper Bridge Street
         applications  assessment,    application  assessment,   Callan. This will provide the basis for returning
         were          DHLGH          was          DHLGH         vacant residential floorspace back into use in the
         selected by   awarded three  selected by  awarded       street.
         KCC and       projects the   KCC and      €10,000
         forwarded     following:     forwarded  to Balief       A Heritage Stewardship Fund application was
                                                                 submitted by the Conservation Officer to the
         to DHLGH  Old Ennisnag  to DHLGH  Farmhouse             Heritage Council. The application focuses on
         for review    Bridge         for review                 the Early Medieval Town Houses in Kilkenny,
                       (€50,000)                                 and follows collaboration to date between the
                       Kells House                               Conservation Office and the Built Heritage Unit
                       (€38,000)                                 and the National Monument Service of the
                       St. Canice’s                              Department of Housing, Local Government and
                       Cathedral                                 Heritage.  No decision has been received.
                       (€27,820)
                                                                 For the month of March 2022, the Conservation
                                                                 Officer responded to the following:
         Stream 2                      DHLGH Decision            •   Planning referrals – 1
                                                                 •   Further information referrals - 3
         One application was selected  Following assessment,     •   Section 57 Declaration - 0
         by KCC and forwarded to       DHLGH decided not to      •   Section 5 Declaration – 0
         DHLGH for review.             support the application   •   Part VIII – 0
                                                                 •   Post planning – 0

                                                        Building Control
                                                           Total       Total      Total       Total
                                                           (Mar 2022) (Mar2021) (Mar 2020) (Mar 2019)

                          Number of Valid                     107         77          97          72
                          Commencement Notices
                          received from Start of Year to
                          End of Month
                          No. Valid Disability Access          22         14          21          21
                          Applications Received Start of
                          Year to End of Month



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