Council urged to ‘throw the kitchen sink’ at ‘Celtic Tiger ghost estate’ in Mayo where 77 homes lie derelict
Mayo County Council has been urged to “throw the kitchen sink” at efforts to bring the long-vacant Saleen Housing Estate in Castlebar back into use, with one councillor describing it as the “Taj Mahal” of dereliction.
Raising the issue at a recent council meeting, Cllr Harry Barrett has said the estate has “lain vacant for 20 years” and described it as a “Celtic Tiger ghost estate”.
A total of 77 units remain vacant at the development along the Ballinrobe Road and are becoming increasingly derelict.
Councillors have repeatedly asked the executive to take over the Waterways Estate, noting that conversations between the developer and the council had taken place, though the situation remains legally complex.
“This has to be dealt with, and I would like to think that we would throw the kitchen sink at that site,” Cllr Barrett said.
He noted the number of families across the county searching for affordable housing and expressed his frustration that dozens of homes remain empty in the county town.
“I believe there are deposits involved, I believe it’s a complicated legal situation - but at the end of the day, it’s a derelict site, and we do have power,
“I would like action taken on that as a high priority, because it is the Taj Mahal of dereliction in Castlebar,” he said.
Cllr Barrett called on the executive to use all available powers, including Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs), provisions under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and Compulsory Sale Orders (CSO) to bring the units into use.
Despite concerns raised about the long-standing derelict estate, the meeting also heard that Mayo County Council has increased the number of CPOs being carried out.
Cllr Peter Flynn commended acting Director of Services Ann Moore after her Chief Executive’s report for February showed that the council had signed off on 13 CPOs, with a further six currently being initiated.
Cllr Flynn noted this was a significant number, “considering where we were for the last 10 years in terms of dereliction”.
Between 2014 and 2024, Cllr Flynn reported that 19 CPOs were carried out, with 14 in 2024 alone.
Ms Moore’s report also showed that 11 property owners were informed of the council’s intention to place their property on the Derelict Sites Register, while a further 12 properties were formally added.
The CPO process is notoriously costly and resource-intensive. In February, councillors agreed to borrow €2m to help fund the acquisition of additional properties through CPOs.
“It is encouraging to see that number happening in a relatively short time frame. I hope it’s just the start of things to come in terms of dereliction,” Cllr Flynn added.
However, he renewed his call for the council to establish a dedicated dereliction team to maintain momentum.
In January, Cllr Flynn had put forward a motion asking the council to follow the example of Limerick City and County Council by establishing a specialist team to tackle dereliction across Mayo.
“I would ask that we consider having a dedicated team for this and then the next time we walk through a town, we know we have done everything possible to tackle the scourge of dereliction,” he said.
Alongside the proposal for a dereliction team, Cllr Flynn also previously asked that the council’s Vacant Homes Officer attend council meetings to provide updates.
He further requested that housing staff receive additional training on the legal complexities of the CPO process, noting that the council had lost a number of experienced staff within its housing section over recent years.
An update on his three proposals is expected to be provided at next month’s council meeting.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.