Meath County Council uses CPO on Kells house

Meath County Council has used its Compulsary Purchase Order (CPO) powers under the Derelict Sites Act for the first time in relation to a house in St Colmcille's Villas in Kells that will now be used for housing.
An order was made by the council under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 vesting ownership of 17 St Colmcille's Villas with effect from 20th November.
A council spokesperson confirmed that the CPO on the property in Kells was completed under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and will subsequently be used for housing and that it is the first CPO on a house that will be used for that purpose.
Local councillor Sean Drew welcomed the move saying: “This house has been vacant and derelict for decades and the eyesore has impacted negatively on the estate in general and specifically on the two adjoining properties.
"For the past 18 months, I have been working directly with the relevant officials in Meath County Council to secure possession of the property, with the objective of having the house renovated and made available for occupation by a family on the council’s housing list as soon as possible."
He added that there are many more vacant and abandoned properties throughout Kells and north Meath that would make ideal homes for families and individuals desperate for a home is urging Meath County Council to pursue acquisition of these through the derelict site and CPO process.
"I hope that the owners of other derelict properties in the Kells and general North Meath area take note, that unless they return their properties to a habitable standard, they could also be the subject of a CPO," said Cllr Drew.  
It recently emerged that Meath County Council was one of 16 local authorities that had not used its power to place CPOs on any vacant homes in the county since 2011. In that time, neighbouring Louth County Council spent over €1.5m on 141 of the CPOs made by local authorities.