A £1.98 million grant has been announced to restore and improve Armagh City's built heritage.

Allocated by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the five-year project will see the repair and reuse of up to 30 buildings within the City's conservation area and 3,000 square meters of historic floor space brought back into sustainable use. Five new businesses and 20 jobs will be created, with four existing businesses and 10 jobs secured.

Support was awarded through HLF's Townscape Heritage programme, which provides grants ranging from £100,000 to £2m to regenerate towns and cities by improving their built historic environment. The award includes development funding of £58,800 to help Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council progress its plans to apply for the full £1.98m grant at a later date.=

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Head of HLF Northern Ireland Paul Mullan, said: "Our local high streets are an essential part of community life so it is wonderful to celebrate 21 years of Townscape Heritage in Northern Ireland. The £21m invested so far has made a lasting difference to the quality of people’s lives by putting heritage at the heart of regeneration.

"It is this heritage-led approach to regeneration that has enabled communities to celebrate the unique character of their towns and cities, restore their historic streetscapes and attract more shoppers, businesses and jobs to their areas. It has inspired people to learn more about their historic built heritage and provided opportunities to develop new skills.

"We are delighted to have reached this milestone with this award for Armagh City's historic streetscape. Thanks to National Lottery players, these ambitious plans will play an important role in regenerating the City’s commercial core, restoring its economic heart and opening up its unique heritage for both local people and visitors to enjoy."

(CD/MH)