€2m. fund to tackle vacancy and dereliction in Mayo towns
FUNDING of €2 million has been allocated to Mayo County Council to target vacancy and dereliction in towns across the county, yielding up to 124 new residential units.
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Alan Dillon, said he was delighted to confirm this substantial funding has been allocated by the department under Call 3 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).
The third round of URDF was announced in January last year and specifically targeted at addressing long term vacancy and dereliction across cities and towns and at the provision of residential accommodation. The update provided shows that 1,224 vacant and derelict properties in URDF areas have been identified and approved under the scheme and that the estimated residential yield from these properties is 5,406 homes nationally.
Minister Dillon said: “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. To date, €142.5m. has been allocated across all 31 local authorities.”
He explained: “The fund is available to all local authorities to cover the purchase price of properties (residential and commercial) and any minor works required to make the property more suitable for sale, e.g. improving access, tidying up, opening up to facilitate inspections, etc.
“Acquired properties are then offered for private sale to those who in return will commit to bringing the property back into residential use. Purchasers of these properties are also able to defray the costs of returning them to use by accessing the Vacant and Derelict Property Refurbishment Grant, the SEAI energy efficiency grants or the Repair and Leasing Scheme, subject to eligibility. Proceeds from the sale of these properties will ensure a rolling programme of acquisitions and disposals is in place.
‘In Mayo, 58 properties have been approved for this funding with an estimated 124 residential units to be provided.”
Minister Dillon said this fund is extremely important in Mayo where there are sites across all our towns and villages on the derelict sites register.
“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.
“The URDF has been a real game-changer for our towns and cities, breathing new life into them and making them even better places to work in, to live in and to visit. Urban regeneration isn’t a luxury, but a real necessity for the beating heart of our urban centres and I’m delighted to see it in action across so many counties, including an investment of over €2m in County Mayo.
“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.”