LIMERICK City and County Council has signalled its intention to get hard on dereliction with a sweep of compulsorily purchase orders issued on a number of derelict properties across the city and county late last week.
As well as this, the local authority has also made a number of vesting orders on derelict properties – a legal mechanism which allows the local authority transfer the ownership of land from one party to another.
Among the sites served with compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) are a derelict single storey dwelling at Melrose, Ballysimon, a two-storey mixed use premises at 11 Broad Street in the city centre, three two-storey terraced dwellings at Orr Street Close, Kilmallock, and a derelict mid-terraced house at 4 Rosbrien Terrace on the Rosbrien Road.
Also served with a CPO notice is a derelict site at Sir Harry’s Mall, a mid-terrace house at St Munchin’s Terrace, Sexton Street North, and a former pub and surrounding land on Main Street in Ardagh.
Such orders allow the Council to take charge of derelict properties so as to put derelict units or land back into active use – whether for housing, retail, or other use for the common good.
Among the sites served with vesting orders by the Council is 37 Windmill Street in Limerick City, a site with a long planning history.
In 2003, planning permission was sought to knock an existing house on the site and develop a student accommodation block – an application which was subsequently withdrawn.
In 2005, similar plans were refused by both the Council and An Bord Pleanála on appeal.
In 2022, planning permission was lodged with Limerick City and County Council to build a three-to-five storey apartment building on the site with a total of 14 apartments. This application was granted by the Council.
Now, the Council has signalled its intention to take over legal ownership of the property and bring it out of dereliction.
According to the vesting order, ownership of the land will transfer to the council on October 14.
Other sites served with vesting orders include an end-of-terrace two-storey property at Smith’s Lane, Cathedral Place, a derelict two-storey dwelling with outbuildings at Grange, Kilmallock, and a mid-terrace house at 157 Hyde Road, Prospect.
Limerick City and County Council was contacted for comment on the large sweep of compulsory purchase orders, all made on Friday last (September 26), but none was received at the time of publishing.
