Laois County Council to 'keep pushing' CPOs of derelict properties
Full list of derelict shops and houses being forcibly bought for housing
Laois has already passed its 2026 target set by the Irish Government to buy up disused vacant properties, but the council CEO says they are going to "keep pushing" and buy more.
Michael Rainey gave an update on the seven Laois properties under the process of Compulsory Purchase Orders, in his report to the April meeting.
"We've a target from Government of six CPOs, we are already at seven this year and our aim is to keep pushing on the compulsory purchases. We will be moving forward from there," the CEO said.
The seven compulsory purchases already started include 88 Main Street & Peppers Lane which is the first ever Ken Blacks toy shop in Portlaoise.
Four more Portlaoise properties are being CPO'd: land at Woodgrove, land at 1-2 Grattan Street, 207 St Brigid's Place and a site adjoining 207 St Brigid's Place.
Also being forcibly bought by CPO is 50 Whitefields, Portarlington and a derelict site at The Square, Rathdowney.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley is delighted at the progress.
"I am delighted to see that land at Woodgrove on the Ballyfin Road, is there any updates? I know it's early days. Also the property at St Brigid's. That large house at 39 Broomfield, was to go for auction in March, did the council show any interest in purchasing or not. I know a young family interested in purchasing it," the Portlaoise Municipal District representative said.
Cllr John King from the Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District praised the council for "not shying back".
"We're moving well on the CPOs. I want to ask, if a CPO goes to a certain level, is there no pulling back from it? That's fierce important," he said.
Also praising the buy-ups is Cllr Aisling Moran from the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.
"It's great to see the CPOs, I'd say you've done more in the past four months than the previous four years," she said.
Laois County Council's vacant homes team has carried out surveys that found 795 out of 1,196 properties they looked at were confirmed vacant, and of those 51 were found to be derelict.
Under the Vacancy Dereliction Activation Programme, they were given a target in 2026 to enter 100 of those properties into the process. So far by April, they a quarter way through, with 26 placed in the process. They were also set a target to start CPOs on six properties, and have so far hit seven.
Owners of vacant properties are being offered a range of financial incentives to bring them back to use. This includes the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grants of up to €70,000, the Vacant Above the Shop grant of up to €135,000, an Expert Advice Grant of up to €5,000, and the Repair and Leasing Scheme which has received little interest in Laois.
If owners leave properties to become derelict, they are placed on the Derelict Sites Register which fines them.