Make Mayo's county town a dereliction-free zone

INDEPENDENT Councillor Harry Barrett wants to see Castlebar becoming a dereliction-free zone.

He has requested a report on derelict properties in the town and levies applied.

Another of his asks is that an extra dereliction officer be appointed to the municipal district, and that the council go down Main Street in the county town and add any addition properties to the register that should be on it.

Dereliction and vacancy has to be dealt with if we are serious about tackling homelessness, said Councillor Barrett.

He highlighted a local case where a child goes home from school every day to a hotel, passing by derelict properties on the street.

“I would like to see Castlebar as a derelict-free zone in the next few years,” he told a municipal meeting.