Up to 299 derelict properties in Waterford
Waterford Council is currently addressing a total of 299 properties, which have been classified as either derelict or potentially derelict.
Waterford City and County Council said that the Active Land Management and Dereliction Sites Team is currently addressing a total of 299 properties, which have been classified as either derelict or potentially derelict at the recent Metropolitan Council meeting.
The team reported to the councillors that "recent months have seen a significant increase" in dereliction activity, the number of properties formally listed on the Derelict Sites Register reaching 96 properties.
"Initial engagement with property owners or their representatives is crucial for resolving issues related to dereliction and for gaining insights into the various factors contributing to the properties' current state," the report said.
In the Waterford Metropolitan District alone, there are 174 open files on potentially derelict properties.
"The level of activity in the property market concerning vacant and derelict properties has notably increased," the report continued, "among the properties we have identified as derelict, several have been reintroduced to the private market voluntarily, with some currently at the 'sale agreed' or 'to let' stages."
The report notes that the introduction of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant has led to a "significant rise" in the number of derelict and vacant properties, which are now available on the market.
In October, the council initiated three different compulsory purchase acquisitions of derelict sites, it says, with the deadline for submissions regarding those CPAs having recently passed at the end of November. This brings the total number of compulsory purchase acquisitions of derelict sites to 38 for the year. An additional three vesting orders were also initiated in October, a total of 15 this year.
In total, there are 132 properties, which are intended to be registered as derelict, eight more were added in October; an additional two more properties have been added this month, bringing the total to 100. The number of properties in receipt of measures required to render sites non-derelict has increased to 26. This matches the county-wide trend, where Comeragh District Council was told last week that there had been a “phenomenal” response to the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant in Waterford by Waterford City and County Council's Claire Hartley.
