Debate contribution: Dilapidation Bill: Final Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Colin McGrath on 8 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Colin McGrath
Party at the time: Social Democratic and Labour Party
Date: 8 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Dilapidation Bill: Final Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5674241

Text

I, too, welcome the fact that this legislation has made its way to Final Stage. For too long, people have watched buildings deteriorate, sites become neglected and once proud parts of our towns slowly go into decline. People then reasonably ask why nothing can be done about it. The sense of frustration in our community is real. People do not care whether a Department, the council or an official is responsible; they just want to see the work done and their areas looking the best that they possibly can. We will set that principle and concept against our high streets, and it has been referenced on a number of occasions that our high streets are changing. The town centre of 20 or 30 years ago is not the town centre of today. Shopping habits have changed, many banks have closed, public services have moved away from high-street buildings and businesses have come and gone. The challenge facing us is not simply about preserving the high street of the past; it is about preparing for the high street of the future. It is about giving some of our very neglected town centres an opportunity to prepare for that future. I see that very clearly in my home town of Downpatrick. I am immensely proud of the county town of Down, but I am also frustrated by what people see when they walk through parts of it: empty buildings, neglected properties, shutters that are down and buildings that are deteriorating. Those things can be seen in gateways to the town. I referenced that the banks have closed. Four banks are lying empty on our very short main street — Market Street — which sends a message to potential investors and those travelling through the town about whether to stop. They just see a series of empty buildings, some of which have been derelict for a decade or more. One of the key corners in our town has a building that I last went into when I was a teenager, and it closed soon after that. I am sure that people will be kind to me about how long ago that was, but it was a very long time ago. That building is lying empty in the heart of the town. The danger comes when we start to normalise that. We normalise walking up and down a town that has a broken window here and a closed building or a dropped shutter there. You just look past all of that because it becomes normal. When we start to normalise that, we stop noticing it. Slowly, the message takes hold that nobody is responsible for those buildings. They start off with their shutters down before lying vacant for a while. They then start to deteriorate, and, after a decade or so, become an eyesore. I do not want to accept that message as the future for Downpatrick and places like it. I want us to do something about those high streets now. It is the same in many other towns across the North. I want to see an opportunity for somebody to say, "We will take responsibility for turning some of this around". If one building is turned around, then there is an impetus to turn around the building beside it or the one across the way. The Bill might give to the people who care about their town and get sad about its deterioration a glimmer of hope that there might be an opportunity to start turning some of it around. The legislation will be judged not by the powers in it but by how they are used, and I made that point at the Consideration Stage. I said that giving the councils powers is important, but ensuring that they use them is crucial. I was pleased that the amendments tabled by the SDLP were accepted and became part the legislation. They will improve our understanding of the scale of dilapidation and provide greater transparency about the action that is being taken. I hope that we can chalk that one up as the Opposition being constructive and helpful. When we all work together on Bills like this, we all get to improve them. That makes the legislation all the better.
The challenge now moves beyond the Chamber, because the powers are there and the legislation is here, but a tiny bit is still missing, and that is the fact that the Bill will require money for it to be implemented on the ground. We know that, when it is needed, the financial package will be there. I hope that the Executive will not get people's hopes up with the Bill but that the finance will be there to match it.
Yes, of course.
Absolutely. I talked about not getting people's hopes up. The legislation is not going to change things overnight. We accept that it will take time. There may be a wee bit of money that needs to come from the centre, a bit will need to be recovered on the ground from those who own buildings that have been left, and a bit might need to be invested by councils. Of course, we can take the strategic and longer-term view: empty buildings are probably not delivering a great deal of rates, but if you can get them up to being functioning buildings, they will generate an income for councils. There are opportunities there. With a bit of momentum and effort, it can be a win-win-win situation for everybody. If we can get that win-win-win lined up, it will help places such as Downpatrick to win and change for the future. We cannot wait much longer for that, and I hope that we see it soon.

954 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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