‘Urgent’ need to bring 25 derelict homes in Tipperary back into use
There is an “urgent” need to address more than 20 derelict houses in a Tipperary village, a local councillor has said, as hundreds remain on the social housing waiting list.
25 homes in the Glen Court estate in Emly have been in a state of dereliction for a number of years, despite the fact that 223 people are on Tipperary County Council’s social housing list in the Tipperary town district alone.
At the December meeting of the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District, Sinn Féin councillor Annemarie Ryan asked for an update on the estate, while Fine Gael councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan said that the situation is “urgent”.
"At the meeting with residents you were left with no doubt in relation to the urgency for Glen Court, to bring these houses back into use, whatever way you’re going to do it,” Cllr Hourigan said.
"It’s really urgent. I’ve spent 16 and a half years working with the residents of Glen Court and we can’t sit on this, it’s really urgent. Let’s get these houses back into use, let’s get people out of homelessness or else use them for affordable housing, the urgency in this, I just can’t say it enough,” the Fine Gael councillor implored.
In response, Shane Grogan from Tipperary County Council’s planning section said that the 25 derelict properties in Glen Court had all been added to the derelict sites register, and that the council was looking at the options available to them to bring the houses back into use.
"Those houses have all been put on the derelict sites register since October 1, and we met quite recently with a group of residents, they were airing their concerns about the long history of that estate and the various issues that are relevant to the estate,” the meeting was told.
"We’re looking at the various options under the legislation to acquire the houses in the long run, and we have written to the owners of those houses but we haven’t received any response, and we have informed them that they will be subject to the derelict sites levy,” Mr Grogan said.
Following the meeting with the residents there, the council was left in no doubt as to their expectations, he added.
"It was a very positive meeting with the residents and I was left in no doubt as to their expectations, it is an opportunity for us to do some good there and get some type of movement on these houses in whatever way we do that,” Mr Grogan explained.
Tipperary County Council said that they would consider purchasing the properties compulsorily, but needed to see what the fastest way to bring them back into use would be.
"It’s an ongoing negotiation, but we’re looking at all options, up to and including potentially a compulsory purchase order (CPO) but we’d like to bring these properties back into use as soon as possible,” he said.
The Glen Court estate was finally taken in charge by Tipperary County Council earlier this year after a 10 year battle.
Taking in charge means that the local authority assumes responsibility for certain services located within the common areas and public areas associated with a particular estate.