The Story of Carrickfergus Townscape Heritage Initiative
Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Partnership Approach
- Project Achievements
- The Conservation Area
- Additional Support and Complementary Projects
- The Education Programme and Promotion of Heritage
- Acknowledgements
- Contacts
Foreword
In 2012 Carrickfergus Council staff with support from the community, businesses and local political representatives embarked on a journey to support the restoration of our town; Carrickfergus.
Well known for its iconic Norman Castle the town had become a satellite of Belfast and local town centre businesses were struggling, victim to large out of town shopping centres and more recently online retail competition.
Carrickfergus is much more than a castle and with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the local Council, statutory agencies and its community, we began a journey to not only restore historic buildings but learn more about the history of our town.
The work funded during a period of 8 years included the restoration of 10 buildings, the delivery of an education project and presented an opportunity to support several significant archaeology research projects which provided new information about the development of Carrickfergus and its growth dating back to the 1600’s.
The delivery of the project was during a time of immense challenges, the merging of Carrickfergus Borough Council with the newly created Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, delivery throughout the Covid pandemic and addressing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis which saw construction costs dramatically rise.
Tribute must be given to the funding agencies, especially The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Council who supported the scheme, professionals involved in the development and delivery of the project and the owners of the properties whom we worked alongside for their support, commitment and belief in the scheme.
These pages illustrate the journey, our achievements and some of the learning, seeking to support future investment, preservation, and the exploration of our town; Carrickfergus.
The THI Board
Introduction
Carrickfergus is famed for its Castle and coastal setting and was once the capital of Anglo-Norman Ulster.
Laid out to a 12th Century plan it has been the focal point of some of the most important events impacting on the history of the Province of Ulster.
While the town has evolved over successive centuries, several historic landmarks including the Castle, St Nicholas’ Church and sections of the defensive stone town walls (completed in 1615) remain to this day. However, the impact of 20th century is particularly noticeable, when industrial development, house building, and road infrastructure radically altered the character of the medieval town.
Although its core is medieval in origin, the appearance of the town is now predominately of late 18th to mid-19th century character. Buildings are typically domestically scaled terraces of two to three storeys over ground floor shops, in keeping with the essential characteristics of a Georgian town of this period.
The aim of the Townscape Heritage Initiative, known as the “THI scheme” was to restore pride in these buildings once again, through their restoration and regeneration.
To support a welcoming historic environment where locals and visitors alike could find out more about the fascinating history of this special town and the stories of the people and buildings behind it.
In 2012 Carrickfergus Borough Council began a two stage application process engaging with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, local property owners and statutory agencies.
In October 2015 the newly created Mid and East Antrim Borough Council was successfully awarded £1,689,200 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Council would provide extra match-funding of initially £555,000 supporting project running costs and creating what was known as a common fund supporting the refurbishment costs of a pre-agreed schedule of eligible and prioritised buildings to be match-funded by the property owners.
The scheme supported the restoration of specific buildings inside the town’s historic walls in a zone known as the Conservation Area.
Scheme delivery involved property owners applying for capital grants to support internal and external building restoration.
Grants were targeted at a range of buildings with particular emphasis placed on buildings which were derelict, listed or had historic merit.
The delivery of the scheme saw the creation of a Board to support the governance of the THI scheme consisting of locally elected politicians from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Social Partners from the community and business sectors and Council Officers.
A range of advisors were also invited to THI Board meetings including representatives from the Department for Communities - Historic Environment Division, Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) and Urban Regeneration.
The programme was promoted to local property owners and several meetings were facilitated to provide information about the programme supported by the Council’s Communications Department.
Levels of grant offered to property owners varied between 58%-82% of eligible costs with the properties in a state of dereliction qualifying for the highest levels of support.
The THI scheme was administered by the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and supported a process which encouraged owners of buildings situated in the Conservation Area to explore the potential of their properties and apply for a capital grant to support the costs of restoration.
During a period of 5 years, 10 building restoration schemes were supported.
During the delivery of the scheme the Covid pandemic forced building work to stop and unexpected delays resulted in the projects extension and additional funding with the final grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund rising to £1,788.700, matched by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council contributing £654.576 and an additional £140,000 was awarded by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive through their “Heritage in Housing” programme to support the creation of over the shop residences.
The THI programme included an education programme, led by a part-time Education Officer who developed a range of classes, publications, coordinated seminars, and workshops working with local groups and schools to promote awareness of the extraordinary heritage of Carrickfergus.
The THI project was completed in 2024.