COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, January 15, 2024
MOTION NO.3
MOTION: Councillor M. Johansson
That the Chief Executive immediately initiate Compulsory Purchase Orders on all properties on the Derelict Sites Register (as published 14/07/2023).
REPORT:
The Derelict Sites Register remains under continuous review in South Dublin County, with regular engagement with the owners of these properties. This engagement includes options open to the owners under the various Government initiatives, such as repair and lease, or sale of the property.
The national Vacant Homes Action Plan, launched in January 2023, consolidates the various strands of work to address vacancy. This Action Plan includes objective 19.5 from Housing for All which provides for the introduction of a new programme for the CPO of vacant properties. Under this Programme, local authorities are now required to adopt a proactive, planned, and systematic approach to the identification and activation of vacant and derelict properties. The main steps of the Programme, which is managed within the Housing Social and Community Development Directorate include:
- identification of vacant and derelict properties,
- identification of and engagement with owners,
- communication regarding the various schemes and measures in place to support bringing the property back into use, and
- where owners of vacant and derelict properties cannot be identified or where they are unwilling to engage, use of available legislative powers to compulsory purchase or acquire such properties using either the Housing Act,1966 or the Derelict Sites Act, 1991.
Acquired properties may subsequently be used for social housing, made available for sale on the open market or used for other purposes e.g., community use and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has set a target for this Council for 25 vacant and derelict properties to enter the Compulsory Acquisitions Programme in 2023 with 4 compulsory acquisitions to commence in 2024.
Further, under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund Round 3 funding, also management within HSCD, South Dublin County Council has been allocated €6m to address long term vacant and derelict properties.
URDF Round 3 is a key initiative in operationalising the Government’s Town Centre First policy and the wider National Planning Framework (NPF) compact growth objectives to support the growth of our towns and urban areas with an increased number of new homes and to activate underutilised building stock in these areas. It will also integrate with existing coordinated Government measures that are tackling building vacancy and dereliction including the Croi Conaithe Refurbishment Grant, the Planning Exemption for commercial to residential use and the CPO Activation Programme.
The URDF Funding allocated is intended to be a revolving fund that will be replenished from the proceeds received from the sale or reuse of properties and sites, allowing the Council to establish a rolling programme of acquisitions to tackle long term vacancy and dereliction.
EWCC continues to engage with HSCD in respect of these programmes.
As at 05/01/2024, there were 10 sites on the Derelict Sites Register of which 10 are residential. Last July, the Council published notice of our intention to compulsorily acquire a further four properties in Tallaght under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990. Approval by An Bord Pleanála was received on the 30th November 2023. We have also recently acquired a derelict site in Clondalkin that will potentially be developed for housing purposes.
Derelict sites legislation has been utilised in South Dublin in recent years with six properties vested by the Council under that legislation and this option will continue to be considered if alternative solutions are not arrived at to address the dereliction.