The Government is seeking public feedback over its plans to bring old and vacant buildings back into residential use.

The draft 'Bringing Back Homes – Manual for the reuse of existing buildings' has been published by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

The document aims to provide property owners, members of the public, councils and those within the construction industry with clear guidance on how current regulatory requirements apply to common, existing building types. In addition, guides on how best to facilitate the reuse of these building types is also provided.

The manual states: "As part of the overarching policy document Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government is committed to bringing vacant and partially vacant properties back into use.

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"The reasons why so many properties have remained underused are complex. Identifying, reactivating and renovating the properties can, in some instances, be challenging. It can be difficult, for example, to identify a building's owner/s and to secure an agreement to revitalise the building. Other potential challenges include higher refurbishment costs, due to construction on tight urban sites; the need to ensure accessibility for deliveries; and difficulties with adjoining owners, licences/ permits, restricted working hours, etc.

"Moreover, initial uncertainty about the scale of the work that will be needed to develop an existing building may discourage lenders from providing necessary funding."

The consultation is now underway and the deadline for submissions is Friday, 10 August.

For more information and to view the 'Bringing Back Homes – Manual for the reuse of existing buildings' document , visit here.

(LM/MH)