Property owners urged to take action over vacant buildings in Dunmore

THERE are over 60 vacant and derelict properties in Dunmore town which could be refurbished and brought back to use.

That's according to a recent survey carried out by Dunmore Tidy Towns group who found that 15 properties are derelict and a further 52 are vacant.

Buildings on the much-debated Bridge Street, which is earmarked for a long-awaited regeneration project, weren't included in the survey.

“The survey does not include the properties on Bridge Street, but the numbers are shocking as these properties are still in Dunmore town, within the speed limit area,” explained Joan Howley of the Tidy Towns group.

“What shocked us was not the number of derelict properties as we have long been aware of this issue but the number of vacant properties,” she continued.

“There are currently over 50 homes that look capable of being lived in, yet it is nearly impossible to rent a property in the area. A search on daft.ie for rental property in Dunmore shows that there are zero properties available.”

Members of Dunmore Tidy Towns believe there are several reasons behind the high number of vacant properties, including the recent passing of some owners and probate issues.

“There are many different reasons for these vacancies and we as a committee are not trying to cast blame in any direction for this, but we hope that by highlighting the issue it may encourage even a few owners to rent or sell,” said Ms Howley.

Joan noted that while some property owners are fearful of the new regulations brought in earlier this year, the committee is encouraging owners to take advantage of government grants like the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

“A lot of people are using these grants and there are four or five properties under renovation at the moment.

“We are excited by the amount of work in progress and look forward to carrying out the survey again next spring and are hopeful of seeing an improvement in the numbers.

“The purpose of this audit was so that in future years we can quantify the (hopeful) improvement for our entry to the Tidy Towns Competition,” concluded Joan.