Councillors hear about plans for derelict sites

COUNCILLORS heard that in a new approach to derelict sites, exploring urban dereliction is a target and councillors were shown a brief list of priority sites.

The aim here is to look for opportunities to bring derelict sites back in to social housing, through CPO or even the threat of CPO.

Cllr Devereux said he was interested in the collection of levies, as there is a lot of money relating to unpaid sites.

Councillors were told that a site has to be derelict for at least a year to have a levy charged, and this would be charged annually.

Cllr Breen said that ownerships can be complex but Cllr Ó’Súilleabháin said he felt the Council hadn’t been robust enough on the issue.

‘In an ideal scenario, we would never have to collect the levy as the threat of the 3% will force someone to do it but it’s evident that isn’t the case,’ said Cllr Byrne.

‘We do need to start to use these as there are a number of these properties have been there for a decade or more.

We have been using the 3%, but maybe the 7% levy is more appropriate. Where it’s possible to hit with 7%, let’s hit them because it’s a larger stick,’ he said.

Eddie Taaffe said that not all sites listed would be eligible for the 7% and councillors were told that the Council had a number of options.

After CPO, they could demolish the site and sell it, refurbish and put it on the market or refurbish and take it in to housing stock.

It was explained that each would have a cost and that a package would have to be prepared for the Department.

‘We are talking a multi million euro programme here and we will need Department assistance. The name of the game is CPO as this is the only way to action these, on a case by case basis,’ said Eddie Taaffe.

Cllr Willie Kavanagh said that CPO would force anyone in to doing something but Cllr Byrne had a different suggestion.

‘If we know who the owner of the property is, particularly if they have means, they should be pursed for the sum. If we know they have the resources and they’re just sitting on it, they need to be pursued legally,’ he said.

This was objected to by Cllr Anthony Donohoe.

‘Not every owner of derelict property has means, and maybe that’s one of the reasons why it has fell derelict. How are we to know that they have means, you’re making assumptions now,’ he said.

Councillors will be kept up to date on this matter monthly.