€2 million granted to tackle vacancy and dereliction in Mayo towns

MAYO County Council has been given €2 million to target vacancy and dereliction in towns across the county.

The local authority is to use some of the funding to acquire 15 properties by Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) before the end of the year. 

The council received the funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under Call 3 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund.

This funding had been flagged as part of the council's Vacant Homes Action Plan 2023 to 2026, which was presented and endorsed by the Council’s Housing Strategic Policy Committee. 

Mayo County Council's Director of Services for Housing, Tom Gilligan, told Mayo Live that the local authority 'will be utilising this money to help develop several vacant / derelict buildings in order to deliver more housing and to transform the local streetscape'.

There are currently 284 sites on the Derelict Sites Register in Mayo, which also has the highest rate of derelict houses in the country. 

Mayo TD Alan Dillon welcomed the funding, stating: "URDF Call 3 is specifically targeted at tackling vacancy and dereliction in cities and towns across the country with the dual benefit of improving streetscapes and providing additional housing.

"Local authorities, including Mayo County Council, will acquire vacant or derelict properties which are either not on the market for sale or to which the market has not responded. They will then offer these properties for private sale to individuals who in return will commit to bringing the property into use as a home. Proceeds from the sale of these properties will ensure a rolling programme of acquisitions and disposals is in place.

“In one of our biggest Mayo towns (Ballina) there are 73 derelict sites registered as vacant and derelict. The second highest (Castlebar) has 29 derelict sites.

"A dedicated officer has been employed by Mayo County Council to address the issue of dereliction by engaging with owners of these buildings, issuing statutory notices and placing these sites on the register.

"Last year alone, just seven sites were removed from the register but many more replaced them. Just four buildings throughout Mayo were advanced through Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and are at Vesting Order Stage.

"I am delighted that this funding has now been allocated to assist the council in acquiring these unsightly building and bringing them back to life," concluded Deputy Dillon.

The announcement was also welcomed by Fine Gael TD Michael Ring, who stated: “I am pleased with the funding allocation to Mayo which will hopefully bring existing long term vacant and derelict buildings and sites into use for residential and other purposes."