Hugh Wallace: Oliver Plunkett Street is a vibrant part of Cork but nobody lives on that street

Hugh Wallace is back with a new series of The Great House Revival but his real passion is finding a way to bring the empty houses of the country back to life. He speaks to Jen Stevens about conservation and his own new build.

Hugh Wallace is incensed about the number of vacant properties in towns and cities that are left empty simply because regulations mean they cannot be turned into homes.

If you’ve seen Home of the Year, The Great House Revival or Bungalow Bliss you’ll know that Hugh Wallace is an animated character, never shy of an opinion. This is never more true than when you get him talking about the empty houses and buildings that fill towns and cities around the country. It’s a subject that infuriates and annoys many people, but Hugh, a celebrated architect who presents a TV programme dedicated to bringing almost derelict properties back to life is incensed by the situation.

“If you go to any town or village in France, Italy, Spain or Greece, people live over the shop, but that’s not a viable option here at the moment because of the level of regulations and restrictions.