Derelict sites register almost doubles in Cork county, but levy collection remains low

A ramping up of Cork County Council actions to reverse the tide of dereliction across the county has led to almost a doubling of properties on the authority’s derelict sites register in a year, it has been confirmed.

Figures provided by the council in response to a query from The Echo disclosed that the number of sites on the register increased from 71 at the end of 2023 to 122 at the end of last year.

The council also disclosed that a total of €4,550 had been collected by way of the derelict site levy in 2024.

“In 2024, levy demands totalling €89,600 were issued to the owners of derelict sites,” a spokesperson said.

“Cork County Council is currently taking legal advice on the options for collection of outstanding balances.

“Also in 2024, 64 confirmed owners of derelict sites were issued with Section 22 notices notifying them of the council’s determination of the current market value of their derelict site.

“This facilitates the issuing of levy demands to those owners in 2025.”

In a statement, the council spokesperson said that a Town Regeneration Office had been set up alongside the Vacant Homes Office with the aim of overseeing the authority’s own vacancy and dereliction initiatives as well as the rollout of related Government policy initiatives and financial supports in the county.

The council said that it commenced a county-wide survey in the final quarter of 2022 of vacant residential properties to assess and address vacancy and dereliction in Cork County.

“To date, 2,810 properties have been surveyed by the Town Regeneration Office,” a spokesperson said, adding that this was for a number of purposes, including encouraging owners to bring their property to market and availing of the Croí Cónaithe vacant property refurbishment grant (VPRG).

“It should be noted that the vacant property refurbishment grant uptake in Co Cork is the second-highest in the country, and is an efficient and effective means of bringing long-term vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes.

“From the commencement of the scheme in late 2022 to the end of 2024, a total of 1,026 applications for assistance under the scheme were received by Cork County Council.”

Speaking to The Echo, Frank O’Connor who, along with his partner Jude Sherry, is a passionate anti-dereliction campaigner, said: “Those figures, while a step in the right direction, are very disappointing, given the low bar the council were starting from and the level of dereliction clearly visible across the county, particularly in many high-demand urban areas. This is even more concerning in a housing emergency when we urgently need homes now.”

It was disclosed at a meeting of Cork City Council last week that the authority had trebled its derelict site levy collection and significantly increased the numbers of properties being investigated for dereliction as well as the properties being transformed into homes.