Call for Western Development Commission to tackle dereliction in North Leitrim village

A call has been made for the Western Development Commission (WDC) to assist in addressing issues of dereliction in a North Leitrim village.

At December’s meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District, Cllr Justin Warnock asked how many vacant and derelict sites exist in Kiltyclogher and what the most effective approach would be to bring them back into use in order to sustain the village.

Cllr Warnock told the meeting that, based on conversations with residents in Kiltyclogher and his own observations, there are 30 vacant and derelict properties in the village. He noted that Leitrim County Council currently has a housing project underway in Kiltyclogher, where two three-bedroom houses are to be built.

“There are 30 vacant and derelict properties in the village of Kiltyclogher. We’re talking about building two houses. What needs to be done is those houses need to be refurbished. Contact needs to be made with the owners,” Cllr Warnock said.

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“If Kiltyclogher is to survive, the people that own those properties need to step up. They’re going to finish Kiltyclogher off if those properties aren’t brought back to life.”

While there may be 30 derelict or vacant properties in the village, a Council response noted that there are no properties in Kiltyclogher listed on the derelict sites register, as the register only applies to urban areas and Kiltyclogher is not currently designated as one. This situation may change following a review next year.

Cllr Warnock suggested that the WDC should be contacted and asked to assist with restoring the houses in Kiltyclogher. 

The WDC is a statutory body established in 1997 to promote social and economic development in the west.

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“We need someone like the WDC who could appoint someone and try to develop those 30 buildings in Kiltyclogher,” he said.

It was agreed that the Municipal District would contact the WDC to explore the possibility of a meeting.