Discount scheme to help spruce up historic town of Youghal

Locals in Youghal can paint the town red, or many other colours, under a discount scheme which is to be introduced in the Co Cork heritage town.

The county council has announced it is to roll out a pilot scheme aimed at sprucing up the historic town’s North Main Street and South Main Street.

Business owners and tenants will be able to get a 50% cut in the cost of painting the buildings and replacing neon or plastic signs with heritage-type signs.

The incentives are part of a continuing heritage regeneration strategy for the town and is being driven by the council’s East Cork Municipal District.

Its aim is to maximise the potential of the town, “to position Youghal as a distinctive, international tourist and commercial destination within its historic core.’ The scheme is also set to provide a much needed boost to employment in the area.

In 2009, the local authority ran a paint-only scheme which was confined to North Main Street and proved very successful.The new scheme has been extended to cover the South Main Street area which is regarded as needing special attention due to much higher-than-average levels of vacant properties.

A council spokesman said the grant generally excludes the painting of shopfronts, as that would be considered to be the domain of corporate identity, but exceptions would be considered.

“The second grant initiative, ‘the shop front signage scheme’ will aim to positively impact on the visual amenity of the townscape. Good-quality shopfronts have always been a notable part of Youghal’s built heritage and attractiveness,” he said.

“Unfortunately due to factors largely brought about by the downturn, many shop fronts has now become rundown in the town.”

The council says inappropriate signage, in modern plastic and neon materials, have become commonplace; due to cheaper alternatives and a lack of a creative design direction. New signs will have to be of wood or cast metal.