Drive to make use of derelict property in Cork
Last Saturday, the Briery Gap in Macroom hosted a meeting at which Deirdre Cott from Cork County Council offered guidance and advice to anyone interested in the grants available with regard to derelict sites.
The meeting was scheduled to last two hours, but with over a dozen queuing people by the time the one-on-one meetings began, it ran on, such was the interest.
Many were seeking information about ruins on their farm land and what options they have going forward, and others wanted to know about renovation grants for derelict and empty houses generally.
A derelict site refers to any property or land which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character, or appearance of land in the neighbourhood because of a neglected or unsightly condition.
Under Section 9 of the Derelict Sites Act, property owners have an obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure their property does not become, or continue to be a derelict site.
A Notice can be served on owners of properties deemed to be dangerous, requiring that specific works to eliminate danger be carried out, thereby rendering the property safe.
However, a derelict site is also a broad term that can relate to many empty properties that may be turned into a home.
I asked Aindrias Moynihan, TD for Cork North West, about the initiatives out there aimed at getting as much property as possible available back on the market.
“Many of the grants can be utilised alongside SEAI grants, giving the homeowner the opportunity to improve their home.
“We get many homeowners calling into our office asking about the grants schemes and we can provide them with the information they need to move forward with their plans,” Here is a brief description of each of the current schemes available.
The vacant homes scheme is a government initiative that offers advice to owners of vacant properties. There are Vacant Home Officers available in your area to give advice on what is available to you.
The initiatives include a repair and lease scheme for owners who cannot afford to finance the repairs themselves in order to bring the property into a habitable condition.
Grants for houses, apartments and bedsits that have been empty for a year or more can be accessed, up to a maximum of €50,000.
The Buy and Renew Scheme is where the local authority would buy the property from the current owner.
There are also supports for those who wish to renovate the upper floors of a building in the city centre in order to provide much needed accommodation.
Cork City Council is keen to fully utilise housing stock, and there are numerous buildings and upper floors lying empty, which could be made into housing accommodation.
Other supports available include the Repair and Lease Scheme; Better Energy Homes Scheme; Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme; Grants for solar panels and battery systems: Built Heritage Investment Scheme; and the Architectural Conservation Area Grant: Long-term leasing scheme.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund) was introduced to help bring vacant and derelict properties back into use as family homes and rental residential units. A grant of up to €50,000 is available, subject to upper limits for different types of work, having regard to a reasonable cost assessment by the local authority. The grant is inclusive of the VAT cost of the works.
The grant is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence, and for properties which will be made available for rent, with the tenancy registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), including the conversion of a property which has not been used as residential before now, subject to appropriate planning permission.
In the case of a top-up grant in respect of a derelict property not on the Derelict Sites Register, an independent report prepared by an appropriately qualified professional must be submitted with the application confirming that the property is derelict.
On inspection of the property, this state of dereliction will be confirmed and approved accordingly.
Properties considered for inclusion in this grant scheme must be vacant for two years or more at time of application, and have been built up to and including 2007.
It’s a lot of information and it can be overwhelming, but there are downloads available on the Cork County Council website with more information, but you can also pop into your local Citizens Advice Office where help is on hand to access the information leaflet you need.
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