Council makes strides in €187 million anti-dereliction effort

Cavan County Council has made significant progress in combatting dereliction across the county, with over €187 million currently being invested in the transformation of vacant or derelict properties into social housing and community facilities.

Cavan County Council is committed to increasing the supply of housing by all available means, and tackling dereliction is a key strand of this multi-faceted approach, and a core pillar of the Government’s ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030’ housing action plan.

Several recent housing developments have seen vacant or derelict properties demolished or renovated to make way for new, high-quality, energy-efficient social homes, including St Brigid’s Place Cavan phase 1, the former Duckin’ Stool pub in Belturbet, Briody’s Hardware Kilnaleck and more.

Elsewhere, vacant and or derelict properties such as Lios na Rí in Cootehill, and Derrylurgan Ballyjamesduff, The Erne Palais Belturbet, Widow’s Row, Belturbet, and St Brigid’s Place Cavan phase 3 are in the process of being redeveloped into modern, high-quality social homes.

In total, 113 homes have been delivered across the county by Cavan County Council in the past 18 months, while a further 137 are under construction, and an additional 220 units are at various stages of planning and design. Approved housing bodies will deliver another 98 homes across Cavan in the next two years.

The local authority has also refurbished and returned 31 units in its own housing stock to use this year to date.

In addition, Cavan County Council has allocated over €10 million under the Croí Cónaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, with 175 applications paid out – allowing homeowners to restore and occupy previously vacant and derelict homes. A further 314 properties have been approved in principle, with refurbishment work on the majority of these expected to be completed within the next 12 months.

This significant progress in housing is being delivered in tandem with the range of major capital community projects underway across the county.

Hugely transformative and impactful projects such as the Market House redevelopment in Ballyconnell, Bailieborough Bridewell & Courthouse, the Community Hub at the Former Percy French Hotel in Ballyjamesduff, Saint Michael’s Hall Cootehill, Kingscourt Town Regeneration projects, Belturbet Community & Enterprise Hub at the former Dinkin’s Bakery, and the major Abbeylands Regeneration Project in Cavan Town, are being delivered by Cavan County Council in a €62 million investment through the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF), the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF) and SEUPB’s PEACEPLUS programme supplemented by up to €12 million in Cavan County Council’s own funds.

Cavan County Council, with its project partners, is also transforming a vacant town-centre site into a world-class community leisure asset through the development of the Cavan Regional Sports Campus. With an investment of over €35 million, the project represents one of the most significant developments in Cavan Town in recent years and is expected to commence on site before the end of the year. The campus is being delivered with support from the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund and the SEUPB PEACEPLUS Programme match funded by Cavan County Council.

Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Councillor Carmel Brady recently took the opportunity to visit some of the sites being transformed from dereliction to thriving community housing, and hailed the progress being made by the local authority. “It is really heartening to look at some of these old, dilapidated, empty buildings knowing that they will soon be family homes, providing shelter, heat, and security to those who need it, and creating memories for generations to come,” said Cllr Brady.

“Cavan County Council is working hard on a variety of fronts to combat dereliction in our towns and villages, and I applaud management and staff for their efforts in getting to grips with the scourge of dereliction. There is much work still to be done, but we are very much on the right track,” she added.

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Eoin Doyle said no stone was being left unturned as the local authority revitalises our towns and villages.

“Cavan County Council developed a series of Town and Village Revitalisation Plans a number of years ago, with a view to re-energizing the urban landscape of the county, and this strategic foundation has seen us make great progress in achieving those goals. In transforming derelict and vacant properties into not only social housing, but also critical community infrastructure, we are re-energizing town cores across the county, providing a much-needed boost to local economies, and helping boost social and community cohesion, all the while creating jobs through engaging local contractors,” said Mr Doyle.

“This progress would not be possible without the support of local communities, without the efforts of our committed staff and of course the various funding agencies such as the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. I’d also like to particularly highlight the role of our elected members who have seen the bigger picture in committing significant match funding to allow us to pursue this ambitious programme of works,” he added.