Taskforce to address derelict properties in the Fountain area of Derry

A taskforce is to be set up to address the issue of dereliction in the Fountain area of Derry.

Sinn Féin councillors Emma McGinley and Aisling Hutton made the proposal at the Full Council meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council on Wednesday last.

Cllr Hutton said the motion came after consultation and had been welcomed by the residents of the Fountain.

“Back in October 2023, myself and Cllr McGinley were invited to a pizza and politics evening organised by FWIN [Foyle Women's Information Network], which took place up in Holywell.

“There were residents from across the Moor ward and we talked about many topics,” the Sinn Féin councillor said.

“One in particular came up from residents of the Fountain area in relation to the derelict buildings that exist there at the minute that are causing an extreme health and safety hazard to the residents there and anyone using the Fountain as a walkway into the city centre.

“We decided to do a walkabout with one of the residents there and discovered that there were quite a few buildings there that were derelict owned by the Housing Executive and privately owned.

“Some had been caged off with a view to keeping them safe but it is our opinion that they weren't safe at all. In particular, one building had no windows and there was a gentleman found sleeping in there and we had to make a referral that day to first housing to have an emergency responder come out to him.”

The motion called on the taskforce to address the ‘issues being experienced by the community in the Fountain as a result of buildings being left derelict and in an unsafe state’.

The taskforce will comprise of community representatives, elected members, council officers, the Housing Executive and any other relevant departments or building owners.

It added that Council should remain committed to developing local communities ‘to be the best they can be, in conjunction with local communities’.

Cllr Hutton said she envisions similar motions being brought for other areas in the city 'but at the minute due to the health and safety risks' she would appreciate support to set up this taskforce.

The taskforce would not ask council to spend money on refurbishing the buildings but would focus on getting 'all the relevant stakeholders around the table' instead, according to Cllr McGinley.

Alderman Niree McMorris asked if the motion could be expanded beyond the Fountain.

“I was unaware that derelict buildings were the responsibility of council but on the basis of the motion brought forward I feel this should not only include the Fountain but also all derelict properties within the city and district,” the DUP councillor said.

“Many buildings that are privately owned are left in a state of disrepair and often they become unsafe and unsightly. I personally have been living across from a residential property that has been derelict for nearly 30 years.

"There is nothing I would love more than to see this property being restored with a family moving in and making it their forever home.”

She said there are many derelict buildings scattered around Derry and suggested an amendment to the motion to set up a city-wide taskforce to tackle the issue, beginning with the Fountain. However, the city's solicitor said it was not an acceptable amendment given the considerable scope it would add to the motion.

The motion passed with 37 for, two abstentions and none against.