600 plus applications for vacant or derelict property grants in Cork

More than 600 applications were made to local authorities in Cork for the vacant or derelict property refurbishment grant in 2023, The Echo can reveal.

Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows Cork City Council received 176 applications for the Croí Cónaithe scheme, also known as the vacant property refurbishment grant, last year.

Some 113 applications were for the vacant grant, while 63 were for derelict properties.

The grant was introduced by the Government in July 2022 in a bid to tackle the issue of vacancy and dereliction.

The standard grant is €50,000 with a top-up of €20,000 available when the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict.

The data obtained from Cork City Council also revealed the local authority approved 135 applications in 2023, and that it had received 268 applications as of July 17 this year.

Speaking to The Echo, Cork City Council’s vacant homes office John Crotty revealed the value of all applications in the Cork City Council administrative area now stands at over €14m.

“Of these, 58 have requested payouts having completed all works which they applied for,” he said.

“Homes have 13 to 18 months to complete works, a generous timeframe given by the Department of Housing which is reflective of the significant works many are undertaking to return derelict properties to use.

“At present, zero properties have had to go over their allocated timeframe to date, but most do use the majority of the allowed time, which is likely reflective of the timescales involved in extensive renovation.

“Twelve have completed all works, applied for their grant and been paid out. We would anticipate a significant and steady increase in the number of sites requesting and receiving payout, as their allocated time period for works expires,” said Mr Crotty.

“There are no delays to the issuing of approval, with a typical turnaround of four to five weeks.

“Each applicant must provide the relative completed paperwork and facilitate a home inspection by one of our appointed inspectors.

“We have noticed an improvement as time has gone on in the quality of first applications sent to us, reducing the need for back and forth.

'NO DELAYS WITH PAYOUTS'

“There are no delays with the issuing of payouts, beyond the essential administrative work to confirm eligibility, with a typical turnaround of four to five weeks,” Mr Crotty said.

“Again, a second inspection must be arranged and completed prior to payout to confirm all terms of the grant have been met, and all paperwork must be provided and signed by the applicant in proper order. These have natural lead-in times.

“We urge all interested parties to make contact with us at the earliest stage to ensure a smooth application and pay out process,” he said.

Meanwhile, information from Cork County Council shows the local authority received 460 applications for the vacant property refurbishment grant in 2023.

The local authority said it approved 324 applications in the same period.

A spokesperson for Cork County Council revealed that the local authority has received 763 applications since the scheme began, with 427 approved.

Some 31 grants have been paid with a value of €1,575,390 with 396 approved applications awaiting works to be completed by applicants.

“The scheme as set out by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage does not provide for stage payments currently,” the spokesperson stated.

“A review of the scheme including this aspect is currently being undertaken by the department.

“Cork County Council through its town regeneration office is actively engaging with the owners of vacant properties across Co Cork to encourage them to bring these properties to market or to bring them back into use where feasible, using available supports such as the vacant property refurbishment grant.

“It should be noted however, that the reasons for vacancy and/ or dereliction are often complex and, in some cases, are not easily or quickly resolved. In addition to this, not every vacant or derelict property is suitable for housing,” they said.

Cork-based activists and urban designers, Dr Frank O’Connor and Jude Sherry, run Derelict Cork, highlighting vacancy and dereliction in Cork.

The duo also run Anois, a design consultancy firm concerned with social justice and sustainability.

Speaking to The Echo, Dr O’Connor said: “The numbers applying for the vacant/ derelict grant applications in Cork demonstrate the demand that we predicted based on the extremely high levels of vacancy and dereliction across Cork city and county.” He said that many applicants have advocated for a stepped payment process.

Ms Sherry stated: “One ongoing concern is the number of vacant and derelict properties that are not available for refurbishment due to hoarding by their owners.

“We propose introducing a compulsory sales order to bring these properties onto the market as soon as possible.

“It’s an emergency and every potential home needs to be utilised to ensure everyone has a home.”