Derelict Wicklow building to be transformed for community use as €360,000 in funding awarded

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

Wicklow County Council has welcomed the allocation of €360,000 to purchase a vacant property in Arklow under the 2026 Building and Land Acquisition Measure, marking a significant step in efforts to tackle long‑standing vacancy and deterioration in the town centre.

The funding, provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, will allow the council to purchase and begin regenerating an unused building for future community use.

The measure supports national objectives under Our Rural Future and Project Ireland 2040, both of which aim to strengthen rural towns by bringing derelict properties back into productive use.

Council officials said the allocation follows months of engagement with property agents and owners of vacant buildings in Arklow, as they explored potential acquisitions that were contingent on securing national funding.

Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Caroline Winstanley. © Wicklow County Council

With the approval now confirmed, the council will move to identify and purchase a suitable building. The authority described the opportunity as “crucial and welcomed” for Arklow, where several prominent properties have fallen into disrepair.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Caroline Winstanley said the funding represents an important intervention under the Town Centre First policy.

“Bringing derelict and vacant buildings back to full use is a step in the right direction in the Town Centre First Policy and this funding is the first step for Arklow,” she said.

Chief executive Emer O’Gorman said revitalising towns is a continuous process and that the council must take advantage of every available opportunity.

The announcement comes as Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary confirmed that the 2026 round of the Building and Land Acquisition Measure has been heavily subscribed.

While councils will be notified of successful applications, the minister emphasised that details of where individual projects receiving support are located will only be released once the purchase of the properties or lands has been completed, citing commercial sensitivity.

The measure was first introduced in 2022 to allow councils to purchase vacant and derelict buildings for redevelopment as community assets. It was expanded in 2023 to support multi‑purpose community spaces and broadened again in 2025 to include additional types of acquisitions.

Under the 2026 call, each local authority was permitted to submit up to three applications for funding of up to €500,000 per project.

The council said the Arklow allocation will help kick‑start a regeneration process that has been long sought locally, offering the potential to transform a neglected building into a community‑focused space that supports the town’s future development.