Call to demolish eyesore buildings – and hit owners with costs

Ballinasloe continues to improve its Tidy Towns marks year-on-year – but one local Councillor fears that future progress will be stymied by the number of derelict sites and buildings in the town.

And Cllr Dermot Connolly urged Galway County Council to knock buildings that have fallen into a serious state of disrepair – and levy the cost of this against the owner.

Senior Engineer Fran McEvoy told a meeting of Ballinasloe Municipal Council that the marks that the town had received in the Tidy Towns Competition had improved again and that this was to be welcomed.

He said that there had been year on year improvements in the Tidy Towns performance as far as Ballinasloe was concerned and paid tribute to the voluntary organisations and Council staff who made this happen.

While Cllr Connolly welcomed the improved performance, he expressed concern over the number of derelict sites in Ballinasloe and some of there were in Council ownership.

There were also a lot of private derelict sites and houses in which the owners did not ‘give two hoots’ about the impact they were having on neighbouring properties.

The Sinn Fein councillor said that it was not acceptable for residents to be living beside empty and rundown properties that regularly attract vermin.

Cllr Connolly is advocating that the Council take ownership of there long-term derelict sites and properties and either knock them or refurbish them for their own use.

“These are eyesores in our town and it is not acceptable. We have to determine what powers we have in terms of taking ownership of these properties,” Cllr Dermot Connolly added.

Meanwhile, Cllr Michael Connolly believes that these derelict and rundown properties should be knocked down by the council and that the cost of this be charged to the estate of the owners.

“Some of these houses may have been destroyed by fire in the past and just left there without any regard for those living next door. We cannot tolerate this anymore.

“The Council have to be proactive and come to terms with this situation and if they have to knock them down, so be it and there is a facility there to recoup the costs,” the Fianna Fail councillor added.

Cllr Connolly said that the number of derelict houses was also a problem in both Ahascragh and on towards Tuam.

Director of Services Alan Farrell said that it was not a lack of desire on the part of the Council to address the issue of derelict sites but the local authority has difficulties with regard a lack of staff and finance at the moment.