To ask the Minister for Social Development, pursuant to AQW 1670/11-15, what funding will be made available under the ReStore Programme in Carrickfergus.

The level of grant funding available for a ReStore project or similar type of town centre revitalisation scheme is up to £150,000 for each location or town centre. The exact content of each scheme is decided by a representative group of traders, but projects typically focus on improving the appearance of building frontages and some forms of promotional and marketing activity designed to attract more people into the town centre.

Funding for a scheme in Carrickfergus town centre is currently scheduled in the Department’s capital expenditure programme in 2013/14. Any offer of funding for the scheme will be subject to a satisfactory business case and appraisal being completed and necessary approvals being granted. The timing of the scheme is designed to follow after the current public realm works in the town centre have been completed as combining public realm and revitalisation projects in this way has been found to be more effective.