Senior Tipperary council manager vows to 'go after' derelict sites in Carrick-on-Suir district

A senior council official has declared he is “going after” derelict sites in Carrick- on-Suir Municipal District and warned their owners that the derelict sites levy will be slapped on them annually if they don’t spruce up their properties. 

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District’s Director of Services Brian Beck issued his declaration of war on derelict sites at the latest monthly meeting of the district’s councillors. 

“That is my next fight; I am going after derelict sites in Carrick (Municipal District),” he declared. 

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And Mr Beck, who is also Tipperary County Council’s Director of Economic, Community & Rural Development and Corporate Services, urged property owners who can’t afford to renovate their derelict properties to sell them. 

He outlined that the council will have a programme to identify derelict sites in the district. It planned to issue letters to the owners of these sites. Those that don’t co-operate with the local authority will be pursued under the Derelict Sites Act. 

“Derelict sites are a pet peeve of mine,” he declared. “If an owner has a building they have responsibility to maintain that building. If they don’t, we will levy them.”  Property owners that fail to heed notices issued by a local authority directing them to remove a building or site from dereliction can be issued with a levy from the council worth 7 % of the value of their site annually until it’s done up. 

Mr Beck warned that this levy would mean property owners will lose money from failing to renovate derelict properties and the levy could end up being more than the value of the site if action failed to be taken. 

He argued that there was no reason why any building should be left deteriorate into dereliction in the current housing crisis.

There were opportunities, for example, under the Croi Cónaithe Fund Scheme to secure a €50,000 grant to refurbish a derelict building. 

“I know it could take €200,000 (to refurbish the building but €50,000 being handed out to you to help you renovate a house is not to be sneezed at. There is no excuse to leave a place derelict. If you can’t afford to do it up, sell it,” he added.  

Carrick Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr David Dunne from Carrick-on-Suir, who regularly complains at council meetings about derelict sites, said he was delighted Mr Beck has taken such a “strong interest” in this issue. The message to property owners was “use it or lose it”, he added.