Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has announced that around £500,000 funding from carrier bag levy receipts will support conservation work for six listed buildings.

The funding, raised from five-pence sales of all ‘cheap’ carrier bags, including reusable ones, aims to support the conservation of buildings that ‘provide direct benefit to the local communities in their area’.

Durkan has selected the following schemes to receive support:

1. the former Derry Cathedral Primary School at Derry’s walls, built in 1891, which is being turned into a tourist attraction incorporating exhibition space and a coffee shop;
2. the former Holy Cross Boys School on the Crumlin Road in Belfast, built 1913-14, which is being converted for community use;
3. the Church of the Holy Undivided Trinity in Waringstown, built c.1844, which is being restored for continued use;
4. Sacred Heart Church in Omagh, built in 1892, which is being restored for continued use;
5. Union Theological College in Belfast, built 1851-1853, which is being conserved for continued use; and
6. St. Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry, completed in 1903, which requires ‘essential repair and maintenance’.

'A tough time for environmental groups and owners'

Announcing the recipients of the funding last week, Durkan highlighted that he would have liked to “fund many more projects”, but that due to budget cuts and the “dire economic situation”, it was not possible.

He added: “I needed to prioritise. I am doing that by directing the scarce funds available to those buildings that have the greatest potential of providing maximum benefits for local communities and the environment. These buildings, some lying derelict and forlorn for years, will now see essential repair and maintenance with new life and usage breathed into them for the benefit of all.

“I have not lost sight of the remaining buildings which the department has committed to support, many of which are in urgent need of help in maintaining their special character. This is a tough time for environmental groups and owners. I have heard their concerns loud and clear. What I am doing is fulfilling my vow to try and alleviate some of that pain as imaginatively and effectively as possible.

“When the Carrier Bag Levy was introduced, the promise was that it would be spent on the environment and for the benefit of everyone. We are fulfilling that promise, but in a focussed way with emphasis on projects that benefit communities.

“Be assured, I will continue to keep seeking ways to address this budget problem for the benefit of our environment.”

Earlier this year, Durkan announced that he would be allocating £2 million of the anticipated £4.2 million raised through the carrier bag levy 2015/16 to implement ‘vital environmental priorities’, including listed building grants, a Natural Environment Fund, and support for schools and community groups.

Read about how Northern Ireland allocated last year’s carrier bag levy.