Derelict Buildings

What a state that building is in. Its a disgrace. I am not sure what the law is but I know what should happen. The listed building should be assessed by the DCC and surrendered to it if it is found that the state of the building is so bad.

As for squaters…. get out and get a job and pay your way like the rest of us!!

Poor Parnell Square – particularly the west side. It is a disgrace that it should be let languish like this.

I think this would come under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990.

And so if it hasn’t been already done, the site should be added to Derelict sites register.

The site can be added if it meets the following definition:
“In this section “derelict site” means any land (in this section derelict site. referred to as “the land in question”) which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood of the land in question because of—

( a ) the existence on the land in question of structures which are in a ruinous, derelict or dangerous condition, or

( b ) the neglected, unsightly or objectionable condition of the land or any structures on the land in question, or

( c ) the presence, deposit or colleffion on the land in question of any litter, rubbish, debris or waste, except where the presence, deposit or collection of such litter, rubbish, debris or waste results from the exercise of a right conffered statute or by common law.”

Then the owner has to “take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become or does not continue to be a derelict site.” Sec 9.

and the local authority has to “take all reasonable steps (including the exercise of any appropriate statutory powers) to ensure that any land situate in their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. Sec 10.

Then the way would be clear to compulsory purchase etc. Which might of course be what the owner wanted all along.

See
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1990_14.html

I heard a discussion of the story on Newstalk, and I have to say the whole thing is just idiotic.

Do you really think that developers really intentionally choose to let property sit idle, earning them nary a penny?

The problem is the city itself.

Look at how planning works here — Spenser Dock, the Carlton, the proposed buildings at the Dun Laoghaire baths or in Inchicore past Heuston, or even the Spike. The process can go on for years and years.

It’s pointless to make a building or development proposal on a property until you actually own in, and An Taisce is going to fight anything of any actual architectural value, a property can, for valid reasons, sit unused for years and years while legal rangling goes on. That doesn’t mean the developer INTENDS to leave the property vacant, or is doing anything wrong.

If you want development of property to be faster and more dynamic, streamline the planning process. Blaming the developers isn’t going to solve it — they genuinely want to do something with the property so they can sell or rent it. Trespassing only makes you a criminal.

“Do you really think that developers really intentionally choose to let property sit idle, earning them nary a penny?”

Yes!

The building in question is on the protected structures list.

This type of situation has arisen before and often the owner spots that the return on restoring the property with care, as is required, will be less than the potential return from building on the cleared site. The only way this could be done is to have the building removed from the protected list (unlikely), or wait till it decays so far that it gets condemmed and knocked on safety grounds.

There have been so many examples of this aproach in Dublin that it would cause you to weep, and not just back in the 70s and 80s either.

This case may well be very different. I don’t know the specifics of this case other than that the house (along with most of the square) is listed. But I can understand why the protesters may suspect the worst. I can also understand their frustration of seeing housing vacant when there is a such a crisis.

Many of these buildings mysteriously go on fire I hear…

Yes… or else get pulled down on Bank Holidays when the person who was dealing with the planning application is off, and no one realised it was listed, and sure aaaah well its down now….

Originally posted by bluefoam
Many of these buildings mysteriously go on fire I hear…

The Irish Rail speciality, that one. In fact, I even had an Irish Rail employee tell me that she wished that the signal cabin in Maynooth (a listed structure) would go on fire, thereby relieving Irish Rail of responsibility for it.

They should clear the crusties out of the building and heavily prosecute the landlord or proprietor of the building for allowing it too fall into into such a state of disrepair and neglect.
Else it will be another part of Dublin’s architectural heritage forever lost. We are too complacent and lazy on such matters, hence the poor condition of our built urban environment.

Where’s An Taisce, the Green Party & Co when it really matters……and not forgetting Royston Brady of FF our new Lord Mayor and the idealist know alls of Sinn Fein who only have offices on the same street (but in a state as well).

‘Within the area of the old city walls, there’s a few medieval churches, Dublin Castle, and, er, that’s it’.

Your’re dead right Paul and is’nt it a fucking crying shame.
So much for all the Government’s, An Taisce’s and Green Party & Co’s blatherings about protecting our environment.

Let’s send that link to our new Lord Mayor of Dublin ‘Royston Brady’ ….maybe he’ll will do something wothwhile ….while in office.

We should enrole Royston (an old classmate…now that makes me feel old) as an honorary member and maybe someone in DCC might listen to our rantings! 🙂

Here here…………I agree.

hawkins house too looks derelict. ok so it houses the dept of health right now but it’s a terrible building. everytime i see this building towering over the city it makes me so mad. i see this building on the news too. the paint, the stone and even the windows are just yuck. have they started to do it up yet? come on lads get a move on! if this building was done up it would greatly improve the look of this part of the city. mind you they need to do up apollo house and chatham house too. ugly! the modern buildings in this area just make the ugly ones stand out, bigtime.

Further to my last post I have emailed Royston and invited him to come on line…. and you never know…

dug this thread up while looking for advice on what options there are about two derelict houses on connaught street, near where i live. they’re beside each other, and are not grossly unsightly, but it’s a shame to see two nice rebricks slowly deteriorate. a neighbour who has lived in the area a few decades was telling me that as far as he knows, the houses were bought in the 80s and planning permission sought to knock them to provide an entrance to dalymount. permission was refused, and they’ve drifted in and out of occupancy ever since.

anyway (layman’s question), i take it the word “sites” mentioned above in relation to the law applies to houses, not just wasteland, say?

“What is a Derelict Site? #5480
Land which materially detracts from a surrounding area because of: 1. The presence of ruinous or dangerous structures 2. The neglected or unsightly condition of land or structures 3. The accumulation of litter or waste.”

So to answer your question. Yes.
Think you can approach it as a neglected structure.

To get a site registered as derelict ring City Council Derelict Sites part of the Development Unit +353 1 222 2143

Section 11 covers all this stuff

apparently, a rule of thumb is that “the roof has to be falling in” for them to register it as a derelict site.
the houses aren’t ready to fall into the street – we’re talking more along the lines of broken windows and buildup of rubbish in the front garden, but he suggested maybe betting on to environmental health about it.