The Irish Times view on the future of towns: new vision is required

The Irish Times today begins a series, Derelict Ireland, examining vacancy and dereliction in town centres across Ireland. It opens in Bray, a large and prosperous commuter town on the north Wicklow coast, with further reports to follow from towns in Munster, Connacht, and Ulster. The series highlights that these problems are not confined to one region or type of town. Bray illustrates uneven decay, where its seafront thrives while its main street features shuttered units, some empty for years. Unlike dereliction, these vacancies are not officially registered. The State has tools to address the issue, including a derelict sites levy (soon replaced by a tax collected by the Revenue Commissioners), a vacant homes tax, refurbishment grants, and tax reliefs for above-the-shop conversions. Despite these measures, progress has been slow—levies are uncollected, grants are approved but rarely completed, and reliefs benefit only a few designated towns. This is partly due to Ireland’s administration and legislation, but similar trends affect global urban centres, like Britain’s high streets and America’s downtowns, driven by online retail, out-of-town shopping, and remote work. The most affected towns often have weaker local economies. Bray’s challenges differ from those of depopulating western towns, requiring a shift toward transformation: converting empty retail spaces into homes, services, and cultural uses, with temporary occupants filling idle units. Regeneration demands accepting that town centres must evolve into new forms.