Call for levy on vacant shop units

New research has shown that one fifth of all commercial units in Tuam and Loughrea are lying empty – prompting renewed calls for a levy to be imposed on such properties.

At the moment, 21.6% of commercial units in Tuam are vacant – that’s a 1.3% disimprovement on a year ago, while in Loughrea, the figure is 18.2% (an improvement of just under 1%).

The stark figures are revealed in a new report from GeoDirectory (a joint service from An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland) and EY-DKM Economic Consultants.

Tuam area councillor Pete Roche said the situation has been discussed by a sub-committee of Galway County Council and it was learned that the owners of these properties have no interest in leasing them out as it would not be financially      viable for them.

“At the moment, because they are unoccupied, the Council is not getting any commercial rates for these properties so there should be some mechanism in place to encourage the owners to lease them out – such as a levy on these vacant premises.

“Vacant business premises are a rot and a blight on any town centre. Some of them cannot be leased but more often than not it is an unwillingness on the part of the owners to let them and this has to be addressed,” he said.

The report from GeoDirectory, which examines commercial vacancy rates across the country, found that the number of empty business premises in Tuam is the highest in the county at 21.3%.

The research looked at Galway City, Tuam and Loughrea and the average county vacancy rate is 16.2%, unchanged from last year. The city rate is 16.3%, down from 16.7% a year ago.

Other location such as Ballinasloe, Athenry, Gort, Oughterard and Clifden – which also have significant vacancy rates – were not part of this particular survey.

A report presented to the County Council by a senior planner last year showed that Ballinasloe had 31 empty premises which represented 22% of the number of commercial properties in the town.

Cllr Roche said he will be requesting the Galway County Council finance sub-committee to convene a meeting to discuss the high level of vacant commercial properties and that an internal survey be conducted.

“The bottom line is that we have to force the owners of these properties to lease them out rather than sitting on dilapidated buildings and ruining the image of our towns,” he added.

In the GeoDirectory report, Tuam has the fifth highest vacancy rate in the province behind Ballina (22.9%), Sligo (22.5%). Boyle (21.6%) and Tubbercurry (21.4%).

The repot shows that of the 9,414 occupied properties in the city and county, around half are involved in service; 23.4% in retail and wholesale; 9.1% on health; 5.3% in construction; 4.6 in industry; 4.8% in education; 2.6% in financial services and 1.9% in public administration.

The GeoDirectory figures are recorded by 5,600 An Post delivery staff working with experts from Ordnance Survey Ireland. The database is used by many different companies and organisations across a diverse range of applications.