Coleraine gets £140,000 boost to tackle dereliction

Environment Minister Alex Attwood has announced a £1.5m funding boost to address dereliction in Northern Ireland’s towns and cities - with £140,000 coming to Coleraine.

By The Newsroom

Published 25th Jul 2013, 09:30 BST

The funds are used to enhance the environment, get rid of dereliction and in turn aim to boost tourism and local trade.

The additional money was confirmed by Finance Minister Sammy Wilson in the Assembly two weeks ago as part of the June Monitoring round.

“This dereliction funding scheme grows from strength to strength,” Mr Attwood said.

“Money pumped into Portrush and Portstewart gave a welcome boost before last year’s Irish Open. Similarly Derry benefitted from a significant improvement in advance of the City of Culture as did Fermanagh in the weeks preceding the G8 summit.

“This is a project of increasing significance. Tourists will be put off by eyesores. If we deal with dereliction, vacant properties and abandoned building sites, we create the opportunity to attract local investment and tourists.”

The Minister urged Councils to press on with the work.