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840,000 windfall for wildlife
project
21.06.12
FUNDING OF more than
800,000 has been awarded to the Inch Level and
Lough Foyle Wildlife Project as part of a European
funding package announced today for the North West
region. The money totalling 1.5m has been awarded
under the European Union INTERREG IVA Programme to
three new projects which will be rolled out across
the five local authority areas of Limavady, Derry,
Donegal, Magherafelt and Strabane over the next
three years.
The Inch and Foyle projects will get 839,880 to
deliver two "world-class visitor and recreation
attractions" at Inch Levels in Donegal and at Lough
Foyle, north of Derry, over the next two years. The
project will include 3.5 km of walkway, a timber
boardwalk and extension of car parking facilities at
Inch as well as installing bird hides and a
footbridge at Lough Foyle. The project will aim to
establish the entire North West as a first class
birdlife and environmental destination.
Meanwhile, Donegal County Council will lead a
390,047 project under the Renewable Energies
Network (REN-NET). The three-year scheme aims to
establish a formalised business network for small
businesses working in the renewable and green
economy sectors.
A second network project involving the North West
construction industry has been awarded £297,889.
This programme to be delivered through Magherafelt
District Council will target up to 80 businesses
connected to the construction sector to encourage
information sharing, cost reduction, sales and
innovation.
The North West Region Cross Border Group
chairperson, Cllr Maeve McLaughlin, welcomed the
investment to the region.
These networks will develop programmes of support
for small businesses and will encourage companies to
work together for mutual benefit. The investment in
tourism infrastructure is also welcome and will
greatly enhance the product we are able to offer to
tourists in the region," she said. The group was
established in 1976 and is a partnership of the five
councils: Derry, Donegal, Limavady, Magherafelt and
Strabane. |
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