This article is from page 33 of the 2013-06-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
ENNIS Town Council has been urged to step in and demolish a derelict apartment block in Ennis amid fears it has become a haven for antisocial behaviour.
The Fairways apartment block near Steele’s Terrace and Marian Avenue has already been declared a derelict site the Council. It follows concerns from residents living in the area about the condition of the privately owned building and the level of antisocial behaviour it has attracted.
Marian Avenue resident Noel Purtill says the building is an “eyesore”.
He adds, “Marian Avenue is one of the oldest estates in the town. It’s a quite area. But you look at that (Fairways) and not to put too fine a point on it, you’d think you were in Beirut. And the residents of Marian Avenue have to put up with this eyesore.”
He adds, “It’s a disgrace that Clare County Council have to come along now and tidy up someone else’s mess.”
Mr Purtill says teenagers have been observed entering the building and throwing rubbish from windows.
The Council has issued a notice to the owner and is seeking to establish the market value of the site.
Ennis Town Clerk Leonard Cleary states, “The structures on the land are in a ruinous and derelict condition. The building is not fit for human habitation; the glazing is missing from most of the windows. The structure on the land is in unsightly and objectionable condition. The building is in need of re-painting; the curtains are flying out the unglazed windows.
“The surrounds of the land are strewn with litter, rubbish, debris and waste.”
Mr Cleary added, “It should be noted that there is no immediate solution in this type of situation and is subject to the owners cooperation or court proceedings.”
Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) says it is open to the Council to issue a vesting order and take control of the building. He told a meeting of Ennis Town Council that the building should be “demolished.”
He said problems with the Fairways building have “festered” for too long and now require “direct intervention” from the Council.
Deputy Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said residents in nearby Marian Avenue have “put up with hell over the past couple of years.” The Clare People has previously highlighted the case of one homeless wheelchair bound man who had been sleeping in a squat in Fairways.