Council commence acquisition of nine Kildare properties
Female hand holding a set of keys over a welcome mat that says HELLO
KILDARE County Council has commenced nine compulsory purchase orders and completed three compulsory acquisitions so far this year as part of efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction.
The nine properties are located in Athy, Castledermot, Kildare Town, Kilcullen, Newbridge, Naas and Leixlip.
Details of the properties were provided to the following queries about the council’s 2026 programme.
According to council figures, the local authority commenced 11 CPOs in 2025.
Separately, reported that the council acquired seven properties via CPO in 2025 for housing purposes.
The compulsory acquisition mechanism is used by the council to address long-term vacancy and dereliction where engagement with property owners fails to bring properties back into use.
The activity forms part of the Government’s CPO Activation Programme, launched in 2023 to support local authorities in taking a more proactive approach to tackling vacancy and dereliction.
Three properties, located at Bride Street in Kildare Town, Eyre Street in Newbridge and Skenagun in Castledermot, have already reached the vesting stage, meaning the acquisition process has been completed.
When acquisitions are complete, the local authority determines whether to refurbish the property for a housing project or offer it for resale on the private market.
The Bride Street property in Kildare Town and the Eyre Street property in Newbridge are approved for funding under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund Call 3 programme.
The council said the remaining properties yet to be acquired will be considered for housing projects if acquired.
The council said four of the nine cases are currently awaiting decisions from An Coimisiún Pleanála following objections from property owners. These relate to properties in Castledermot (Main Street), Kilcullen (Main Street), Kildare Town (Curragh Plains) and Athy (Plewmans Terrace).
A property in Leixlip (Elton Court) has progressed to the “Notice to Treat” stage, while a property in Kerdiffstown, Naas remains at an early stage of the process.
According to the council’s July Chief Executive’s Report, there are nine CPOs awaiting confirmation.
The council said that this refers to any CPO that has commenced but has not yet been confirmed or vested, including cases awaiting a decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The council also said that five properties acquired since 2023 have been refurbished, while one is currently undergoing refurbishment and three more are due to go to tender shortly.
It added that three properties acquired under the URDF Call 3 programme have been advertised for sale.
Two properties on Woodstock Street, Athy are sale agreed, while a unit on Duke St, Athy, remains on the market. According to the council, a further six properties acquired under the URDF Call 3 programme are being prepared for forward sale.
The local authority also said that four CPOs initiated in 2025 were withdrawn following discussions with property owners who committed to bringing the properties to market or carrying out refurbishment works.
The council told the that two of the properties acquired by CPO last year are currently being prepared for forward sale.
