There are two main ways that you can report vacant and/or derelict houses in the estate. Both of the websites linked below have an online form to report house details.
Westmeath County Council Derelict Sites – link
The Act defines a Derelict Site as any land 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
- structures which are in a ruinous, derelict or dangerous condition, or
- the neglected, unsightly or objectionable condition of the land or structures, or
- the presence, deposit or collection of litter, rubbish, debris or waste.
Under the Act, the Local Authority has to maintain a derelict sites register, make the register available for public inspection, serve a notice on the owner/occupier specifying works to be carried out to prevent or stop dereliction, acquire by agreement or compulsorily any derelict site, impose an annual levy on any derelict site in an urban area, based on 3% of its valuation.
Vacant Homes website – link
A dedicated Empty Homes Unit is being established within his Department’s Housing Delivery Office to drive and coordinate actions at central and local government levels and to support local authorities in their actions. All local authority Chief Executives were requested earlier this month to designate vacant homes officers in each of their authorities to examine Census 2016 and other data on vacant homes in their areas and identify, through a Vacant Homes Action Plan, priority “vacant hot-spot” areas and properties that can be quickly brought back into use.
