Galway County Council announce plans to address vacant and derelict properties

Galway County Council (GCC) has this week announced the CPO Activation Programme, a plan to address vacant and derelict properties throughout the county.

GCC has identified 40 derelict buildings in the county to include in the first phase of a nationwide programme designed to tackle insufficient usage of residential properties.

The registered owners of the properties have been notified that their buildings are to be brought back into use within a certain timeframe. If they fail to do this, they risk having the properties reclaimed by the Local Authority. GCC has also requested that the owners alert the council of how they plan to put the properties back into use.

The locations of the properties are as follows: Nine are in Tuam, nine are in Connemara, eight are in Oranmore/Athenry, seven are in Loughrea, and seven are in Ballinasloe.

The programme comes off the back of a GeoDirectory Vacancy Data Survey undertaken by Galway County Council, 817 properties were deemed vacant and/or derelict, of which 773 were deemed to be vacant, and 44 properties were deemed to be vacant and derelict.

Councillor Albert Dolan, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway commented that “the CPO Activation Programme will be welcomed by those who want to access home ownership and wish to be given the opportunity to access those properties lying vacant in their communities.

“This initial activation will give owners opportunities to revitalise their own properties within a defined timeframe with access to various funding support schemes being provided, but, importantly, also gives Galway County Council the authority to compulsorily acquire properties in order to bring them back into use”.

Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council described the CPO Activation Programme as “a dynamic programme and an opportunity to drive change and progression in the development of town and village centres”. He continued, “advice and support schemes are available to those owners who are willing and able to bring their properties back in to use but Galway County Council is equally keen to tackle the issue of properties lying idle in our county”.

According to Michael Owens, Director of Services for Housing, “the Vacant Homes Team is available to advise and assist in bringing these properties back in to use which has been successfully exhibited through the use of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. The CPO Activation Programme supports Galway County Council’s aim for every household that has a need to be able to access quality and affordable homes. Bringing vacant homes back in to use will assist in achieving this objective either by supporting owners or the acquiring of properties through legislative means”.

Galway County Council has also expressed they have received significant interest in the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grants (Croí Cónaithe) Scheme from property owners. The scheme is designed to transform unattractive vacant properties into housing over a short period of time.

283 of the 465 applications that have been submitted so far have been accepted to join the Vacancy/Dereliction Activation Program. The locations of the 283 applications that have so far been given initial permission are Athenry/Oranmore (31), Ballinasloe (60), Connemara (61), and Loughrea,(71) and Tuam (60). The successful applicants have been given permission to spend a total of €15,836,250.62 on renovations to their abandoned and unoccupied houses.

Further information on the CPO Activation programme and the schemes offering assistance to property owners to turn vacant or derelict building into a home is available from http://www.galway.ie or from the Vacant Homes Office of Galway County Council at vacanthomes@galwaycoco.ie / 091- 509309.