Mayo County Council vacant homes expo attracts huge crowd

A motion by Castlebar councillors to host a vacant homes event showcasing all of the grant opportunities available to owners of a vacant or derelict home has received huge support from members of the public.

Mayo County Council facilitated the event which included a presentation by both Deirdre Swords, Mayo Vacant Homes Officer and Orla Nic Suibhne, SEAI Sustainable Energy Community Mentor (for Galway and Mayo).

A spokesperson from Mayo County Council said they “were delighted with the numbers who attended.”

There was a Q and A session after both presentations.

"The feedback was excellent and special thanks all key stakeholders, including our councillors who attended the information event," the spokesperson said.

Interest and questions relating to the Vacant Property Refurbishment grant were very high on the agenda for many attendees.

This does not come as a surprise as the Vacant Homes Office in Mayo County Council has received and processed over 509 applications since the scheme was introduced.

A council spokesperson said: “We know that the grants and schemes that our Vacant Homes Office administers have real potential to change the landscape of our towns and rural communities.”

The event attracted people from all walks of life, those owning homes looking to rent out vacant properties and those seeking to rejuvenate their first home in the county.

Due to the success of this event, Mayo County Council is planning to host similar events throughout the county.

For all those who missed out on the event and would like to get information that they can contact Mayo County Council at vacanthomes@mayococo.ie.