This article is from page 38 of the 2013-07-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
ENNIS Town Council has advised against members of the public carrying out repairs to a vacant apartment block in Ennis.
The warning from Ennis Town Manager Gerard Dollard came after a local councillor offered to provide building materials to make the Fairways building safe. The area has been a source of concern among lo- cal residents due to the derelict condition of the building and the level of anti-social behaviour it is attracting.
A number of homeless people have also been residing in the building.
There have also been calls to demolish Fairways, which has been declared a derelict site by the Council
At the July meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) asked if there was anything preventing members of the community from carrying out repair work. Cllr Flynn said he would supply materials for the work.
However, Town Manager Gerard Dollard said that from a health and safety point of view, the Council would caution against members of the public working on a privately owned structure. The issue was raised by Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) who has called on the Council to issue a vesting order to take control of the property.
He said such an order would enable to take possession of the building for a nominal fee.
Mr Dollard said the Council is pursuing the matter under the dangerous buildings legislation and is obliged to follow correct legal procedures. He told the meeting that issues had arisen in trying to identify the owner of Fairways. “It is something that we are not ignoring”, he added.
Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG), described Fairways as an “awful looking building.”