Bettystown Tidy Towns secure €40,000 in funding

Bettystown Tidy Towns have successfully secured €40,000 from the Department of Rural and Community Development.

This tranche of funding was announced today by Minister Heather Humphreys, under the Accelerated Measure of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys today announced details of a further 137 rural towns and villages that will benefit from €4.3 million in funding to help them adjust to COVID-19 restrictions.

This funding will enable towns and villages to implement immediate measures that will encourage people into towns and villages to shop and socialise, while adhering to public health guidelines.

The funding is facilitated through the Government’s July Stimulus package. The allocation includes funding of €1.5 million for 38 large towns with populations in excess of 10,000 which have not previously been funded through Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Local Fine Gael Councillor Sharon Tolan welcomed the news saying:

“This funding is more great news for East Meath. The benefits of grants like these will be felt for years to come, as they are an investment in our community and for our community.

Bettystown Tidy Towns continues to champion really ambitious projects, and I am delighted to assist them in any way I can. Of course, I am particularly delighted that this project has been awarded funding, as it will further improve the pedestrian access to our beaches, which remain car free.”

The project that Bettystown Tidy Towns will deliver is to create a safe public walkway to Bettystown beach and landscaping the entrance to the town. Works will be carried out on the pedestrian entrance to Bettystown beach at the Brook Garden, another BTT project, on the Coast Road.

This pedestrian entrance became very popular during the summer months when public parking was provided at local school Colaiste na hInse. While the beaches of East Meath remain car free, efforts will be made to ensure that all public pedestrian access is safe and accessible for all.