Unoccupied commercial property on rates hitlist - Tribune

[verbatim]

[*Unoccupied commercial property on rates hitlist - Tribune * (https://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune/News/Home%20News&id=82366&SUBCAT=Tribune/News&SUBCATNAME=News)

WICKLOW town council, which has lost 500,000 in rates due to the amount of idle property, will next month ask the Minister for Environment, John Gormley, to amend legislation so that unoccupied commercial premises will be susceptible to property rates.

Fine Gael councillor Irene Winters told the Sunday Tribune that, for every premises that is vacant, no rate is charged, and she estimated that last year the town council . . . which already owes the county council 1m . . . lost 200,000 in uncollectable rates. At least 100,000 a year is lost on the vacant Veha Radiators factory, which was purchased by the Quinn group but is now idle.

"Several other property developers in the local area who have bought premises on the Main Street and off the Main Street have left them vacant over the past two years, " Winters said. “They have increased the cost burden on all other rate payers in the town and if there are a lot of idle premises, people are less attracted to doing business in the town.”

**In a similar trend to that seen in the housing market . . . over a quarter-of-a-million Irish homes are currently vacant . . . a substantial amount of commercial property in Ireland is not being let by larger property developers, who can afford to wait until the market stabilises to rent out their premises.
**
Last year, Tipperary South county council drew attention to the high number of vacant commercial premises in the area by issuing derelict orders on every idle commercial property. According to Wicklow town council, the current situation is forcing them to cut back on services to the town and charge existing occupied premises higher rates.

Winters said that when the resolution was passed, the council would ask every rateable authority in the country to send similar proposals to the environment minister.

"It is hard for the chamber of commerce to promote any business in a town if you have a spate of idle buildings, " Winters said.

[CelloPoint]

@verbatim

[*Unoccupied commercial property on rates hitlist - Tribune * (https://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune/News/Home%20News&id=82366&SUBCAT=Tribune/News&SUBCATNAME=News)

WICKLOW town council, which has lost 500,000 in rates due to the amount of idle property, will next month ask the Minister for Environment, John Gormley, to amend legislation so that unoccupied commercial premises will be susceptible to property rates.

Fine Gael councillor Irene Winters told the Sunday Tribune that, for every premises that is vacant, no rate is charged, and she estimated that last year the town council . . . which already owes the county council 1m . . . lost 200,000 in uncollectable rates. At least 100,000 a year is lost on the vacant Veha Radiators factory, which was purchased by the Quinn group but is now idle.

"Several other property developers in the local area who have bought premises on the Main Street and off the Main Street have left them vacant over the past two years, " Winters said. “They have increased the cost burden on all other rate payers in the town and if there are a lot of idle premises, people are less attracted to doing business in the town.”

**In a similar trend to that seen in the housing market . . . over a quarter-of-a-million Irish homes are currently vacant . . . a substantial amount of commercial property in Ireland is not being let by larger property developers, who can afford to wait until the market stabilises to rent out their premises.
**
Last year, Tipperary South county council drew attention to the high number of vacant commercial premises in the area by issuing derelict orders on every idle commercial property. According to Wicklow town council, the current situation is forcing them to cut back on services to the town and charge existing occupied premises higher rates.

Winters said that when the resolution was passed, the council would ask every rateable authority in the country to send similar proposals to the environment minister.

"It is hard for the chamber of commerce to promote any business in a town if you have a spate of idle buildings, " Winters said.

Ah yes, more stealth tax from our noble leaders. Rates are a hindrance to business. It’s easy to say “rates should be abolished”, but I would go further and say “town and county councils should be abolished”. Everybody knows that a “good job” in the town/county council is a walk in the park “if you can get it”.

[kerrynorth]

Lots of vacant commercial property down here in Tralee - and their still building more of it!

[idij]

@verbatim

[*Unoccupied commercial property on rates hitlist - Tribune * (https://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune/News/Home%20News&id=82366&SUBCAT=Tribune/News&SUBCATNAME=News)

WICKLOW town council, which has lost 500,000 in rates due to the amount of idle property, will next month ask the Minister for Environment, John Gormley, to amend legislation so that unoccupied commercial premises will be susceptible to property rates.
**
Fine Gael councillor Irene Winters told the Sunday Tribune that, for every premises that is vacant, no rate is charged**, and she estimated that last year the town council . . . which already owes the county council 1m . . . lost 200,000 in uncollectable rates. At least 100,000 a year is lost on the vacant Veha Radiators factory, which was purchased by the Quinn group but is now idle.

That’s nuts. I for one welcome the proposed change. In fact I’d impose punitive rates for idle commercial property.