Council 'making good progress' on derelict sites
Cllr Peter Flynn said progress was being made in Westport.
There are 252 sites on the Derelict Sites Register in Mayo, a meeting of Mayo Co Council’s Environment and Climate Change Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) was told.
The Derelict Sites Act defines a derelict site as any land that “detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood of the land in question because of: Structures which are in a ruinous, derelict or dangerous condition; the neglected, unsightly or objectionable condition of the land or of structures on it, or the presence, deposit or collection of litter, rubbish, debris or waste".
Jim Horan, of the council’s Environment Section, said the local authority is “making good progress” on tackling derelict sites and properties. He said the numbers on the register have previously been at 300 and 290 in the past.
“We are making good progress on sites coming on the register and then being removed,” he added.
A total of 37 properties have been issued with notices informing the owner that work must be done in order to prevent the site going on the register. An additional 44 properties have been added to the register after a lack of action and 41 have been removed from dereliction.
Cllr Harry Barrett said extra resources are needed to tackle the dereliction issue. He previously tabled a council motion calling for each Municipal District to be assigned a dereliction officer.
“I do not think our completion rate matches the level of emergency that is out there,” said Cllr Barrett. “When we have derelict sites in our towns and people living in hotels that is nothing short of vandalism."
Cllr Peter Flynn echoed these sentiments.
“I’m pretty sure I could go around Westport at this point in time and get close to 252 (derelict properties). There is no question that progress is being made. We got a super update from the housing team lately showing the properties in Westport town and other towns in the county where notices have been issued. It’s amazing how quickly we have seen turnaround on those buildings. We do need to continue to up the pressure on all these buildings that are sitting vacant, idle, and are an eyesore right around our county."
