​'One-stop-shops' needed to tackle vacancy and dereliction in Kilkenny and across Ireland

​Kilkenny senator Malcolm Noonan has urged the Government to establish a network of ‘one-stop-shops’ in every local authority to encourage development of vacant and derelict properties.

Speaking in the Seanad, Noonan stated that such a network would ‘help project developers navigate their way through the legislative planning, regulatory and incentive matrix’.

“This would ensure our councils become an enabling force to get these wonderful built heritage elements back into to productive use,” he said.

READ NEXT: Attempts to remove 'the most awful weed' cost Kilkenny resident 'thousands'

“To get families back living in our town centres and to help uplift those towns commercially and socially.”

Senator Noonan informed Minister of State John Cummins that this is a measure that has been sought for many years by the Irish Green Building Council and the Vacant to Vibrant Building Alliance.

He further stated that in recent years “a suite of new roles has come into our local government system, such as architectural conservation officers, town centre first officers and vacancy officers.”

READ NEXT: Kilkenny bridge improvement works are 'welcome' but 'more to do'

Despite this, Senator Noonan made the point that “project proposers often find it tricky, to say the least, to navigate the system and there are varying interpretations from county to county regarding fire and access regulations, sometimes at the behest of the fire officer.

“Sometimes they have different interpretations of what can and cannot be done to a building.

“By establishing a network of one-stop-shops across the local government system, we can overcome and develop a consistency of approach and application, share best practice and, importantly, move these projects along.”

READ NEXT: ALERT: Kilkenny drivers take an alternative route due to closure of busy road

Before finishing his contribution, he asked the Minister of State to give consideration to engaging with the County and City Management Association, Local Government Management Agency, local authority members and the Heritage Council on the matter.

Responding, Deputy Cummins stated that the Government “recognises the importance of tackling vacancy and dereliction” and will continue in its “commitment to addressing these issues with the support of all key stakeholders, including our local authorities.”

Deputy Cummins then further outlined a number of measures, grant schemes and initiatives taken by the Government in recent years in its bid to tackle dereliction.

READ NEXT: 'Will not be tolerated' - warning issued by Kilkenny GAA club ahead of Wexford visit

Senator Noonan noted that ‘conservation advice grants’ are useful but ‘are very limited to the conservation element of it’.

“That is why I think the one-stop shop is a really progressive approach,” he said.

The Kilkenny senator further asked the Deputy to consider ‘the idea of removing the element of commercial on the ground floor’ in the above-the-shop scheme due to ongoing ‘flux’ in the retail sector.

READ NEXT: Kilkenny father sentenced to five months in prison

Deputy Cummins stated that there ‘are obviously pros and cons’ to that but that the Government ‘want the ground-floor retail to remain while utilising that underutilised space above the shop’.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS