Information evening at Tipperary hotel for vacant property owners

Tipperary County Council, in collaboration with the newly-formed Clonmel Town Team, will host an information evening for owners and leaseholders of vacant properties to hear about supports that are currently available to them.

The event will take place in the Talbot Hotel Clonmel at 6.30pm next Thursday, November 16.

Aimed at vacant property owners, county council officials will provide information on the various schemes and supports available in Clonmel including the Vacant Homes Refurbishment Grants scheme.

Croí Conaithe is one such grant available under this scheme, where property owners can obtain grants of up to €70,000 in bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into residential use.

The Vacant Homes Officer, Nevan Phelan, will provide attendees with the information they need to access the various grant schemes and will present examples of where the schemes have been successful in Clonmel.

Anne-Marie Devaney, Senior Planner from the Planning and Development Department will present on vacancy and planning policy.

Martin Moore, Assistant Chief Fire Officer working with the Fire and Emergency Services Department will present on fire safety and building control requirements for people interested in bringing their vacant properties back into use for residential and commercial activities.

He will provide best practice examples of where properties have come back into use in compliance with fire and building control regulations.

Carol Creighton, Clonmel Borough District Administrator will provide an update in relation to enhancement schemes available in Clonmel over the next twelve months.

There will also be an opportunity to hear from the newly-formed Clonmel Town Team and its chairman, Noel Buckley, on their plans to deliver elements of the Clonmel Town Centre First Action Plan in collaboration with Tipperary County Council.

Áine McCarthy, Town Regeneration Officer with Tipperary County Council is coordinating the event with the Clonmel Town Team, who have been actively trying to progress actions identified in the Clonmel Town Centre First Action Plan that can be delivered in collaboration with the County Council.

Earlier this year, the Town Regeneration Officer and Clonmel Borough District brought together a number of people who represented various interests across the town of Clonmel to form a Town Team.

This group has replaced the former Clonmel Town Forum and has seen many new members join the team from the Chamber, Lions Club and Tidy Towns as well as the retail, education, hospitality and festivals and events sector.

The Mayor of Clonmel Borough District, Richie Molloy has welcomed the organisation of the evening event for people in Clonmel, and said “Bringing the various departments within the local authority together to provide information on planning legislation, building control and fire regulations, and grants available around vacant and derelict properties, will enable vacant property owners and leaseholders in the town centre to be well informed on the next steps they can take in bringing their properties back into use”.

Noel Buckley, chairman of the newly-formed Clonmel Town Team said that “The Town Team have come together to work in collaboration with Tipperary County Council to make Clonmel a better place to live, work, visit and invest, make a positive impact and deliver positive outcomes.

“We will do that by progressing the Clonmel Town Centre First Action Plan with the county council and one of our first actions is to work with the council to create an awareness around the supports available to tackle vacancy and dereliction in Clonmel”.

Áine McCarthy is encouraging vacant property owners to attend the event and added that “The Town Centre First Policy was launched by the Government in 2022 and it aims to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community.

“The focus is on addressing the drop in the position of towns across the country from the place they once were, with an emphasis on tackling dereliction and utilising existing buildings and unused lands for new development and residential occupancy.

“The information evening will allow all vacant property owners to hear about the supports available and meet with the council officials if they have any queries around planning legislation, building control regulations and grants available in relation to vacant and derelict properties,” the Town Regeneration Officer stated.

For more information on the Town Centre First Action Plan for Clonmel please visit www.tipperarycoco.ie/clonmeltowncentrefirst