Derelict Sites

Longford County Council’s Vacant Homes Unit established their Derelict Sites Enforcement, under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990.

According to the Derelict Sites Act 1990 a derelict site is defined as any land that “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 caused by the following:

Structures which are in a ruinous, derelict or dangerous condition, or
The neglected, unsightly, or objectionable condition of the land or of structures on it, or
The presence, deposit or collection of litter, rubbish, debris or waste.

Under the Act, Longford County Council can:

Prosecute owners who do not comply with notices served.
Make compulsory land purchases.
Carry out necessary work themselves and charge the owners for the cost.

It is our responsibility to:

Maintain a derelict site register.
Make the register available for public inspection - It can remove an entry from the Register when it is satisfied that improvement works have been carried out on the derelict site.

Derelict site register

If you wish to consult our latest Derelict Site register, please contact vacanthomesofficer@longfordcoco.ie and a member of our team will be able to help you with your query.

Report a derelict site

If you wish to report an derelict site which became neglected or unsightly located in county Longford please contact us at vacanthomesofficer@longfordcoco.ie, specifying location and details of the site.

We will then carry out an inspection of the site to determine if it is qualifying to be entered on the Derelict Sites Register or what improvement measures need to be undertaken.

If you are concerned that a structure is or is likely to become dangerous you can also contact us.

What happens if your site is added to the derelict sites register

If a site that you own is added to the Derelict Sites Register, Longford County Council has the authority to do the following:

Demand that you restore your site to a non-derelict condition within a certain time period. You are normally given six weeks to complete such work. A financial penalty may be imposed if you fail to do so.
The Council can apply a financial penalty on you. This could amount to 7% of market value of your derelict site for every year it remains on the Derelict Sites Register.
Purchase property by agreement or by compulsory purchase order.

Additional information can be found at Derelict Sites.