Tackling dereliction in Tipp
Evening in Roscrea hosted by Town Team
Roscrea Town Team in collaboration with Tipperary County Council hosted an information evening aimed at vacant and derelict property owners in Damer House in Roscrea recently. The event was well attended by the public who heard from Tipperary County Council officials on the various schemes and supports available to Roscrea, including the Vacant Homes Refurbishment Grants scheme.
Brian King, Roscrea Town Champion, welcomed everyone to the event and noted that Roscrea is not unique in terms of the number of vacant and derelict properties, it is visible in the majority of towns and villages around the country. Addressing vacancy and dereliction is included as part of the Roscrea Town Centre First Plan and he outlined that working collectively with the county council by organising the information evening would create an awareness of the supports available and had drawn an interest from those who wish to regenerate their properties and the town.
Áine McCarthy, Town Regeneration Officer with Tipperary County Council, told those in attendance that in order to try and address vacancy and dereliction, every local authority has taken on a Town Regeneration Officer and Vacant Homes Officer in order to support the delivery of Government’s Town Centre First Policy and the Vacant Homes Action Plan. She advised that the various departments within the local authority, such as Planning and Housing, are committed to tackling this problem.
Following these speakers, the information evening continued with presentations from council officials based in Housing, Planning, and Building Control who provided information on planning legislation, building control, fire regulations, and grants available around vacant and derelict properties. As a result, vacant property owners and leaseholders in the town centre are now well informed on the next steps they can take in bringing their properties back into use. There was considerable interest in the presentation on the grants available to vacant property owners with an engaging and informative questions and answers session with the audience.
The Croí Conaithe Grant and Repair and Lease Scheme administered through Tipperary County Council acts as an incentive for bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into residential use. More information on these schemes is available on the council’s website www.tipperarycoco.ie or by emailing vacanthomes@tipperarycoco.ie
Finally, Sharon Scully, Municipal District Administrator, summarised the supports available annually from the district. She encouraged those attending to engage with the council to avail of the schemes to support the regeneration of Roscrea. She added that Tipperary County Council will continue to try to secure funding from the Government for transformational regeneration projects to build on the success of securing funding for the Gantly Street Age Friendly Neighbourhood and the REACH project which she hopes to see progress in 2024.