Take Action on Vacancy

Concerned about a vacant or deteriorating old building in your area? Under measures included in the Planning and Development Act 2000, local authorities have a responsibility to ensure protection of architectural heritage in their area. This means that, if the building is a 'Protected Structure', any individual may write to the Planning Enforcement department of the relevant local authority requesting action so as to prevent its endangerment. The local authority has the power to specify works necessary to secure the structure and prevent further deterioration. (Failure by a local authority to exercise its functions in this regard opens it up to action under Section 155, Planning and Development Act 2000.)

Regular maintenance is essential for the preservation and good upkeep of older buildings. A lack of the carrying out of necessary maintenance work by owners or occupiers will result in the dilapidation or deterioration in the condition of an old building over a period, and buildings can go downhill quickly once unoccupied. 

Often, roof valleys, gutters and downpipes become constricted, blocked or weighed down with unremoved vegetation or other debris, so that rainwater cannot run effectively off the building. This has the effect of driving water towards walls and roofs, giving rise to damp or saturated masonry and/or water ingress into the structure, thus undermining its fabric and promoting its endangerment. Regular checking and timely removal and unclogging of any such obstructing material is essential.

If vacant, an historic building may also be improperly secured, leaving it open to risk of break-ins, theft of features and fittings, vandalism and arson. Keeping an old building in use is the best defense but, should it become vacant, it is essential that it be adequately secured against these risks until such time as it can be brought back into functioning use, preferably in the nearest timeframe.

To write to your local authority concerning a vacant or neglected Protected Structure, obtain and use the authority's general email address or, if available, the email address of the Planning Department. Mark your correspondence for the attention of the Planning Enforcement department in the subject box. Alternatively the postal system can be used. If possible or appropriate a photograph(s) of the structure can also be included to help illustrate your concerns. See an email/letter template which may be used below.