Renewed calls for audit of vacant retail units in Clare town amid housing crisis

The possibility of conducting an audit of vacant retail outlets in Ennis to explore opportunities for converting unlettable sites into residential units was raised at the October meeting of the Ennis Municipal District.

Fianna Fáil councillor Tom O'Callaghan requested "an audit of how many empty retail outlets within our town currently so as to establish potential opportunities in conjunction with property owners in having unlettable sites converted into residential units."

In response to the motion, Candace Ingram, Senior Executive Planner, responded: "It is planned to undertake a ground floor survey of Ennis Town Centre, which will include recording any vacant units and once completed the information can be made available to the members of Ennis Municipal District."

The motion comes following an 'Above The Shop' survey which was carried out earlier in the year by Hardware Association Ireland.

The survey highlighted "the significant potential of revitalising vacant 'above the shop' properties, with up to 40,000 housing units possible."

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In Ireland, an "above the shop" property is a vacant residential unit located directly above a commercial or retail space.

These properties are increasingly seen as prime candidates for conversion into housing, with initiatives like the Living City Initiative and government-backed tax incentives helping to make these conversions more feasible.

By repurposing these underutilized upper-floor spaces, the goal is to increase the supply of housing in highly populated cities and towns such as Ennis. 

The Hardware Association Ireland survey also recognised the challenges of converting vacant commercial properties into  housing units.

Among the key recommendations, the report calls for an expansion of vacant homes officers' roles and responsibilities, as well as a waiver on Capital Gains Tax for "above the shop" properties.

It suggests enhancing and providing more flexible grant structures, along with tax relief on capital expenditure. To further address the issue, the introduction of a graduated vacant property tax is recommended, alongside simplified planning and fire certification processes.

The report also advocates for flexible compliance standards, energy efficiency incentives, and additional support for trades and construction.

Lastly, it emphasises the need for improved access to affordable finance to facilitate these conversions.

Carmel Greene, Senior Executive Officer, also responded to the request explaining: "The Derelict sites Team have engaged with a number of property owners in the Ennis Town Centre and  they are at various levels of engagement."

"Where the property is considered derelict and there is no  engagement, the Team serve the required notices under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990 and those that are  then on the Derelict sites register will be liable to a levy of 7% of the value of the property each year  until it is rendered non-derelict."

"In addition, there are a number of properties subject to the  Compulsory Purchase process at the present time." she concluded.

At the full meeting of the council in October, Kilrush based councillor Rita McInerney commended the council on "the work of the Derelict Sites scheme" particularly in parts of west Clare.

She spoke on the 'over the shop' element and its importance for Ennis town centre, highlighting that "the balance within our towns, is important that we retain commercial property within the town but also when commercial properties are no longer needed and with the reality of the housing crisis - the balance we have is something we need to look at from a planning perspective."

"Between people living in a town centre and the availability of commercial units. I don't have the answer of how [to keep the balance] of people converting commercial to domestic while also retaining the fabric of the town centre in terms of commercial viability. It is something we seriously need to look at."