Call to allow vacant shops display goods for other outlets without payment of rates 

The chief executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey, has said he would welcome an examination of what can be done to help town centres to be better presented for the public.

It follows a motion from Fianna Fáil councillor Seán O’Donovan which called on Cork County Council to allow vacant business premises windows to be dressed in display products from other shops in the town, while not being liable for rates.

It was unanimously supported by his colleagues at last Monday’s full council meeting.

Mr O’Donovan said that if a vacant shop window is currently dressed in products, it is liable for rates.

Mr O’Donovan highlighted the “13 vacant premises on the main street in Bandon” and said that some other businesses would have displayed their products on those windows. However, the vacant property owner is then “liable for rates if something is displayed in the window”.

“The products have now been taken off the windows and they are either painted or there is newspaper in the window, so it looks shocking going through the town,” he said.

“I would like to send this to the Economic Development SPC for consideration that they would be allowed have their windows dressed and not liable for rates. 

“I am calling on the rates department to allow the windows to be dressed to help regenerate and improve how a town centre looks," said Mr O’Donovan.

“A dressed window looks a lot better than an empty window and it would make the town more attractive to new businesses setting up." 

Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Kelly seconded the motion and asked for clarity on the criteria for the charges, while Fine Gael councillor Kay Dawson said there is nothing worse than seeing newspapers stuck in a window.

“We have to think outside the box,” said Fine Gael councillor Marie O’Sullivan.

“We have to look aesthetically at our town centres and see what is best for the town. You have an awful lot of businesses putting a lot of effort into their premises and a little bit of help in the right direction would be no harm.”

Lorraine Lynch, the council’s head of finance, in reply to Mr O’Donovan’s motion, said:

“A vacant property by definition in rates legislation must be unoccupied. Vacant properties may be eligible for vacancy relief of commercial rates subject to certain conditions.

“By placing display products from other shops or businesses in a vacant property, the property is no longer vacant and thus not be eligible for vacancy relief.”

Mr Lucey, said he would welcome an SPC looking at the issue in more detail.

“I would welcome an SPC looking at this because there is some sort of a policy we could develop that might assist town centre presentation. 

“There is a quid pro quo type of scenario that may well be capable of being reached.

“We recognise that windows are used for a particular purpose and our rates department do take a prudent approach, but certainly a policy around it which could be very simple might be of value to us.”