Derelict Rural Dwellings
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I am currently working on my final year thesis broadly on the topic of encouraging the renovation of derelict dwellings as an alternative to building more one offs.
Does anybody have any suggestions as to how some form of market based / economic incentives could be used to encourage this.
Any comments on derelict dwellings would be welcome.
Thanks.
Am I correct in thinking that some councils in N.I or the DoE give grants towards doing up old farmhouses as residences?
It certainly makes economic sense once the old ones aren’t too far gone.
The only thing is that most of the houses let go to rack and ruin were generally small and normally were pretty shabby workmanship.
I think in the north, its more a case of the old two storey farmhouse being replaced by a more recent bungalow. Almost certain that I know of someone who got a grant to do up an old one on her father’s land.
A bit of a grant would level up the playing field a little alright. In this country having any old property is all a bit of a nightmare with the amount responsibility and the lack of help from the government.
There must be several hundred farmhouses and cottages in various states of dereliction in every county in Ireland. If there was a really good grant scheme here for restoring them & bringing them back from the brink it would take off some of the pressure for new one-offs, which mostly look horrible in the landscape (i think).
An organisation called ‘Leader’ used to give grants for restoring old farmhouses. Do a search on them. Dunno what they were like on states of dereliction or making sure the buildings were restored in a historically correct way.
All the local authorities have grant schemes for works to protected structures to be administered by the Conservation Officer, but they usually have trouble giving away all their annual grant allocation cos of lack of resources to properly adminster it. Some countys don’t even have a Conservation Officer. If more resources were allocated, this scheme could be extended to derelict farmhouses & buildings of vernacular interest.
At least if the grant comes from the local authority you know the work will be done according to Best Conservation Practice (cos it will be part of the conditions of the grant) – so no plastic windows, no shiny fibre-cement roof slates, no heavy raised pointing to stonework.
Originally posted by Devin
At least if the grant comes from the local authority you know the work will be done according to Best Conservation Practice (cos it will be part of the conditions of the grant) – so no plastic windows, no shiny fibre-cement roof slates, no heavy raised pointing to stonework.Well thanks very much for running down me line of business, but I have always been very aware that my product sells itself on the price savings it gives to customers.
As you say yourself: if the council wants a higher standard of building they really need to start looking at helping people out. I am just as happy selling timber windows only that most couples can’t afford them. :rolleyes:
Grants really are the only one to solve it
Thanks for all the helpful replies.
I was wondering what people would think of a possible re-working of the Part 5 Social / Affordable Housing. As this currently really only applies to urban projects / zoned land, could a new section be added to local authorities Housing Strategy about restoring derelict dwellings. Instead of giving 20% or a financial contribution, is it posible to give developers another option, to restore derelict rural dwellings instead. This would not only contribute to the housing supply in rural areas, but would also clear eyesores, protect our built heritage and would enable developers to make a true contribution to the housing supply in this country? A booklet could be produced for each LA with details of derelict dwellings such as owners, things to be protected, projected costs etc….., to make the process a bit easier.
What do people think? Would this work?
That sounds very clever.
Turn on your e-mail function in your user profile.
PVC King, you are undermining individuals who come to this forum in earnest for advice and information on built environment issues.
I agree Devin, and I couldn’t help but notice PVC King did not comment on the earlier thread ”Irelands says no to PVC windows”.
Sinead and Devin, in defence of PVC King, I did get a lengthy and very helpful reply by email to the ideas that were posted above.
WexfordPlanner
Thanks for your support Wexford Planner and Frank,
some people on this site are just pure paranoid it looks
Well you are kinda waving a red rag at a bull here with that name like that – you might as well be called Patrick Gallagher 😉
Who was Patrick Gallaher, did he make cigerettes?
You can’t go anywhere with this smoking ban and now PVC windows are being attacked as if they killed people.
I don’t have any Shop Rory, not yet.
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