Tackling dereliction across #DublinCentral

As Chair of the Council’s Planning & Urban Form Strategic Policy Committee, one of the objectives I set for myself in that role was to liaise with officials in the Derelict Sites Section in order to tackle the scourge of dereliction in the city, especially within the North Inner City.

There can be no doubt that derelict sites visually impact negatively on the surrounding area, give out the impression of an area deteriorating and are a magnet for antisocial behaviour and take valuable housing stock out of circulation.

That is why adopting a proactive approach by utilising the Derelict Sites Act, 1990, Dublin City Council is managing to return derelict sites to active use. As far back as 2017, I have advocated the compulsory acquisition of derelict buildings by the City Council so as to refurbish for future use as family homes or alternative public housing. The best example of this would be the Council’s acquiring the eight vacant and derelict houses on Tyrrell Place, Dublin 1. These houses are currently being refurbished and will allocated to applicants on the housing waiting list shortly.

Further to this, Dublin City Council has acquired compulsorily twenty-five derelict sites, twenty-one of which were retained by the Council under the control of the Housing & Community Services to be used for social housing purposes. Many of the properties have been completely refurbished and rendered non-derelict and are now occupied or are currently undergoing refurbishment. The compulsory acquisition process has commended on a further eleven derelict sites and Notices of Intention to Acquire are due to be served imminently. In addition, there is one acquisition from last year with An Bord Pleanála for decision.

It is worth noting that the number of derelict sites acquired compulsorily is just part of the story, the Council has experienced that in the face of compulsory acquisition some sites have been:

1. Rendered non-derelict and removed from the Derelict Sites Register,
2. Owners are actively seeking planning permission or  have obtained planning permission for redevelopment,
3. Derelict sites have been placed on the market and are at varying stages in the sales process, which offers the prospect that they will be redeveloped and returned to active use.

DUBLIN CENTRAL

Within Dublin Central area of the city, there are 31 sites or buildings currently on the Derelict Sites Register.

The Derelict Site Levy is 7% of market value. Outstanding levies attract interest at the rate of 1.25% per month, Outstanding levies including interest automatically become a charge on the land and will remain a charge on the land until all outstanding have been paid.

To date, there is €662,924 in outstanding levies owed to Dublin City Council arising from these 31 sites / buildings. These include:

Ref	Address	Date of Entry	Market Value	Levy Amount	Outstanding Levies
DS914	Amiens Street, 49-51, D1	12.02.2016	€250,000	€17,500	€72,968
DS816	Annamoe Terrace, 11, D7	11.04.2019	€240,000	€16,800	€45,720
DS1005	Annesley Place, 2 & Spring Garden Street, 2, D3.	24.11.2017	€60,000	€4,200	€4,252
DS1271	Annesley Place, 4, North Strand, D3	24.07.2019	€210,000	€14,700	€14,883
DS623	Ballybough Road, 22b, D.3.	25.06.2019	€60,000	€4,200	€4,252
DS845	Ballybough Road, 25, D3	04.07.2017	€120,000	€8,400	€0
DS846	Ballybough Road, 24, D3	04.07.2017	€120,000	€8,400	€18,480
DS847	Ballybough Rd, 23, Dublin 3.	04.07.2017	€120,000	€8,400	€0
DS1006	Blessington Street, 23, D7	29.09.2017	€300,000	€21,000	€72,112
DS981	Buckingham St Upr, 2, D1	05.04.2018	€180,000	€12,600	€35,167
DS1019	Cabra Park, 73, Cabra, D7	28.11.2018	€280,000	€19,600	€43,610
DS960	Capel Street, 163, D1.	03.05.2018	€150,000	€10,500	€10,631
DS1196	Capel Street, 164, D1	03.05.2018	€150,000	€10,500	€10,631
DS1197	Capel Street, 165, D1	03.05.2018	€200,000	€14,000	€14,175
DS921	Clonliffe Road, 198, D3.	12.07.2016	€210,000	€14,700	€14,883
DS704	* Connaught Street 19, D7	23.03.2018	€350,000	n/a	€68,267
DS705	* Connaught Street 21, D7	23.03.2018	€350,000	n/a	€68,267
DS934	* Ferguson Road, 10, Drumcondra, D9.	26.09.2017	€120,000	n/a	€3,181
DS982	* Ferguson Road, 8, Drumcondra, D9	28.09.2017	€120,000	n/a	€0
DS886	* Nelson Street, 6, D7	12.03.2015	€210,000	n/a	€6,378
DS1188	* NCR, 414, D7.	13.07.2018	€200,000	n/a	€0
DS974	NCR, 74, Dublin 7	21.08.2019	€250,000	€17,500	€39,156
DS580	North King Street, 86, Smithfield, D7	14.07.2020	€200,000	€14,000	€14,700
DS479	Prussia Street, 24-25, D7	12.07.2018	€240,000	€16,800	€37,170
DS514A	Terrace Place, 6 (rear 23 Rutland St. Lr.), D1.	20.10.2008	€80,000	€5,600	€42,481
DS1371	Terrace Place, 7 & 8, D1	14.06.2019	€140,000	€9,800	€21,560

It is also important to note that six sites, marked with an asterisk, were acquired compulsorily by the Council and awaiting refurbishment. They will remain on the Derelict Sites Register until rendered non-derelict and as they are owned by a local authority, they are not subject to a Derelict Sites Levy. Any outstanding levies will be deducted from any compensation claim.

ACTIVE INVESTIGATION OF SITES

Currently, the Derelict Sites Section of Dublin City Council is actively investigating 70 open cases of either sites or buildings located within Dublin Central after complaints or queries regarding their condition were raised.

Upon receipt of such complaints, inspections are arranged and the condition of a site assessed to determine what action, if any, is warranted under the Derelict Sites Act 1990. If a site needs attention there would follow a process of engagement with the owner to secure the carrying out of necessary improvement works. Engagement with owners in general results in positive results but if the engagement does not yield the desired results the formal procedures under the Derelict Sites Act are invoked which can culminate in the site being entered on the Derelict Sites Register. The Derelict Sites Unit has implemented an ongoing acquisition strategy since 2017 so any site entered on the Register can be considered for possible acquisition.

Below is a list of sites currently under investigation:

1.            Abbey Street Middle, 47, D.1.       

2.            Abbey Street Middle, 62-63, Dublin 1.        

3.            Abbey Street Middle, 72, Dublin 1.              

4.            Annamoe Road, 13, Cabra, Dublin 7.           

5.            Annamoe Road, site adj. No.17, Cabra, D.7.

6.            Aughrim Street, 57, Dublin 7.        

7.            Aughrim Villas, 9, Aughrim Street, D.7.       

8.            Ballybough Road, 20-22, (former Annesley Motors), Ballybough, D3 

9.            Ballymun Road, 28, Glasnevin, D.9.

10.          Beaver Street, 7 & 8, Dublin 1.

11.          Benburb Street, 5, Dublin 7           

12.          Berkeley Road, 22a, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.           

13.          Blessington Street, 42/43, Dublin 7. (Protected)      

14.          Botanic Avenue, 19, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.   

15.          Broadstone, CIE Site, Dublin 7.

16.          Broombridge Road, 16, Cabra West, Dublin 7.

17.          Brunswick Street North 100-102 / Church Street 114-116, junction of, D.7.    

18.          Buckingham Street Lower, 39 & 40, Dublin 1.

19.          Charleville Avenue, 63, D.3.           

20.          Clonliffe Road, 57, Ballybough, Dublin 3.    

21.          Clonliffe Road, 66, Dublin 3.

22.          Dominick Street Upper, 36-40, (Hendrons Building), Dublin 7.

23.          Dorset Street Upper, 38, Dublin 1.

24.          Eden Quay, 26-27, Dublin 1. (Former Mercantile Marine Office)        

25.          Eden Quay, 28, Dublin 1. 

26.          Emerald Street, 15/16, D.1            

27.          Gardiner Street Upper, 3, Dublin 1.

28.          Glenarm Avenue, 5, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.              

29.          Grangegorman Villas, 1, Grangegorman Upper, Dublin 7.     

30.          Grangegorman Villas, 2, Grangegorman Upper, Dublin 7.     

31.          Grangegorman Villas, 3, Grangegorman Upper, Dublin 7.     

32.          Grangegorman Villas, 4, Grangegorman Upper, Dublin 7.     

33.          Grangegorman Villas, 5, Grangegorman Upper, Dublin 7.     

34.          Hill Street, 40-42, Dublin 1             

35.          Merchant’s Road, 38, East Wall Road, Dublin 3.

36.          Merchant’s Road, 49, East Wall Road, Dublin 3.

37.          Mountjoy Square South, 39, Dublin 1. (PROTECTED)             

38.          Mountjoy Street, 16, Dublin 7.      

39.          North Circular Road, 153, Dublin 7              

40.          North Circular Road, 271, D.7.

41.          North Circular Road, 386, Phibsborough, D.7.          

42.          North King Street, 60-66, D.7.       

43.          North King Street, 78-80, Dublin 7.              

44.          North Lotts, 53 (rear 53 Middle Abbey Street), D.1.

45.          O’ Connell Street Upper, 42, D.1. (Protected Structure)        

46.          Parnell Street, 148, Dublin 1.         

47.          Parnell Street, 3, Dublin 1. (Protected Structure)     

48.          Parnell Street, 4, Dublin 1.             

49.          Parnell Street, 5, Dublin 1.             

50.          Parnell Street, 6, Dublin 1.             

51.          Parnell Street, 76-78, Dublin 1      

52.          Phibsborough Road, 1-2, Dublin 7. (Protected Structure)      

53.          Preston Street, 4, D.1. (Protected Structure)            

54.          Prussia Street, 6, Dublin 7.             

55.          Prussia Street, 68-68a, Dublin 7.   

56.          Ravensdale Road, 4, East Wall, Dublin 3.

57.          Rutland Cottages, 13, Summerhill, D.1.      

58.          Rutland Cottages, 24, Summerhill, D.1.      

59.          Seville Place, 42/43, D.1. (from 1/1/2018) 

60.          Shandon Gardens, Garages/Workshops to rear 84c & 84d, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.

61.          Shelmalier Road, 45, East Wall, Dublin 3.

62.          Sherkin Gardens, 2, off Griffith Avenue, Drumcondra, D.9.   

63.          Spring Garden Street, site adj. 49A-C & at rear of 61/61A Ballybough Road, Dublin 3.  

64.          Stanhope Terrace, 26, Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7.        

65.          Stanhope Terrace, 27, Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7.        

66.          Stanhope Terrace, 28, Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7.        

67.          Stanhope Terrace, 29, Grangegorman Lower, Dublin 7.        

68.          Sullivan Street, 1, Arbour Hill, Dublin 7.

69.          Synnott Place, 12, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.

70.          Villa Park Avenue, 16, Navan Road, Dublin 7.           

It is clear from engaging with Councillors across the country, that there is not a consistent approach in how Councils are dealing with dereliction. Dublin City Council is ahead of the curve and the proactive approach taken by the Derelict Sites Section is having the desired effect of ‘encouraging’ owners of derelict sites and buildings to bring them back into active use, informally as well as the formal compulsory acquisition route.

If you would like more information on the approach taken to derelict sites and buildings by Dublin City Council, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com.