Cork library to host information session about derelict property refurbishment

No appointment will be needed to attend the Cork City Council-run session, which is aimed at helping anyone with a question on any element of a vacant or derelict property, from grants available to queries on planning or ownership or any other issue that may be preventing a property’s return to use.

Guidance will be provided by qualified practitioners who will be present at the session, which follows an initial event that was held in Bishopstown Library last Friday.

A major event is also planned for May 24 in the form of a seminar on the supports available to bring vacant and derelict properties back into use.

The ‘Urban Fabric: Addressing Dereliction & Vacancy’ event, now in its second year, will be held at St Peter’s Church on North Main Street and host speakers and experts who will cover different aspects of the dereliction and vacancy issue.

Cork City Council said that further events covering all of the city’s electorate areas are planned for later in the year, after Cork saw a “major uptick in activity in dereliction last year, with the number of sites on the Derelict Sites Register being increased by 45%”.

The local authority said that over 700 properties are being investigated for dereliction, placement on the register or are on the city’s vacant homes register as of March 2024. It said that there has also been over 250 applicants for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, which allocated between €50,000 to €70,000 for the renovation of vacant and derelict homes.

Persons seeking more information about vacancy, dereliction, and housing grants and schemes, or looking to report a derelict site, are encouraged not to wait for such events and make contact with the council as soon as possible at www.corkcity.ie or by emailing DerelictSites@corkcity.ie and VacantProperties@corkcity.ie.