New Athlone tax relief scheme "aims to reduce dereliction" in town centre
Westmeath County Council is urging town centre property owners to apply for the new Athlone Living City initiative, a tax relief scheme that aims to bring "vacant, underused and derelict buildings" back into use.
Applications are currently open for the scheme, which offers tax relief on refurbishment works costing more than €5,000 that are carried out on owner-occupier residential, rented residential, 'living over the shop' residential, or commercial properties.
Athlone, along with Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Sligo, was among five towns added to the 'Living City' scheme in April, after it had already been in place in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford.
In a statement this week, Westmeath County County Council described Athlone's addition to the scheme as "a significant milestone" which "provides a powerful incentive" to bring vacant or derelict buildings back into productive use in order to "support the continued regeneration and revitalisation" of the town centre.
"The scheme aims to reduce vacancy and dereliction, increase housing supply, promote sustainable urban living and support the economic and social renewal of town centres," said the local authority.
"By encouraging the reuse of existing building stock, the scheme also contributes to climate action objectives through sustainable redevelopment and reduced pressure for greenfield development.
"The scheme is intended to help unlock the potential of existing buildings and support the creation of thriving, lived-in town centres."
A map of the town centre area of Athlone in which properties are eligible to apply has been posted on the council's website and covers the majority of the town's urban core.
In order to qualify for the scheme, owner-occupier residential or rented residential properties must have been built before 1975. The council is handling applications for these types of properties, while applications for tax relief on 'living over the shop' or commercial properties must be made to Revenue.
The tax relief for the commercial element of the scheme is capped at €300,000, and the scheme for all reliefs will remain open until December 31, 2030.
The Deputy Mayor of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, Cllr Frankie Keena, described the town's inclusion in the scheme as "a major vote of confidence".
"The beauty of this scheme is that it offers relevant property owners attractive tax incentives to refurbish their vacant commercial or residential buildings, or indeed convert over the shop spaces into badly-needed urban based residential units which, when occupied, will breathe new life into Athlone's core urban areas," said Cllr Keena.
"This initiative will help address my long-term campaign of identifying actions to bring life and vibrancy back to our town centre while, at the same time, providing much-needed housing units.
"I am now encouraging property owners in the identified special regeneration areas to avail of this incentive as soon as possible," Cllr Keena added.