Edenderry has Ireland's highest vacant property rate

Edenderry has the highest commercial property vacancy rate in the country, a new report has revealed.

According to GeoDirectory's latest report on vacant commercial properties, 31 percent of Edenderry's commercial properties were vacant in the final quarter of last year, more than double both the national average of 13.5 percent and average vacancy rate in Offaly (14.7 percent).

GeoDirectory analysed 101 locations, including 79 towns and 22 districts in Dublin. Elsewhere in Offaly, the vacancy rate in Birr remained the same at 16 percent, while Tullamore saw a half percent decrease to 14.4 percent.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent, the Edenderry-based councillor Noel Bourke said that it was 'very disappointing' that the town had the highest commercial property vacancy rate in the country.

Cllr Bourke said that the vacancy rate was linked to the high number of major retailers that have developed stores on the periphery of the town over the last decade. It a problem in regional towns across the country, he says.

'The centre of the town has suffered because of developments on the outskirts. On the Dublin Road you have Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl and other side you have the Dunnes Stores shopping centre. These have pulled people from the middle of the town.'

The Fianna Fail man says that more needs to be done to attract businesses into the centre of the town.

He also revealed that preliminary discussions have begun about a new development on the site of the former Tesco supermarket in the centre of the town. If a major site in the centre of the town was redeveloped, Cllr Bourke says it would help attract other businesses. 

'One or two places have opened in recent weeks and this is to be welcomed. We hope that more will follow. This would increase footfall and would lead to a spin off for other places.'