Legal action on 30 year old derelict Portlaoise housing site

Legal action may soon be taken on a derelict site in the centre of a 30 year old Portlaoise housing estate.

A site that could fit up to three new houses could finally be placed on the derelict sites registrar by Laois County Council.

They are also going to serve legal notices on the owner, with all action to happen only if an inspection proves as suspected, that the site is derelict.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley however is "very disappointed" it has taken so long, and says there is no owner.

"This response completely ignores the question I asked, that the site be CPO'd [bought by compulsory purchase order].

"Woodgrove and Woodgrove Estate have waited over 20 years to be taken in charge. Now they are in charge, but this site is sitting here since the late 90s, completely overgrown," she said.

She recounted the history of the estate and site.

"The council had to get a fence to make it safe from children. The owner of the site went bust. There is no owner. I can't understand why this response completely avoids my motion. Back in the day the council had to call in the builder's bond, it fell short of a lot of money, the council had to dig deep to finish the estate. 

"They had serious problems with the sewage pumping station. Raw sewage was coming up in the middle of the estate. I reported this to the county council and Irish Water acted. We all know if a site goes on the derelict list, it's sitting for years. I ask whoever did up this response to go back. This would be ideal for two or three affordable houses. I'd love to see something like that happen," Cllr Dwane Stanley said.

She adds that money is earmarked to upgrade the estate's pumping station, but this has not yet been done.

She had tabled a motion asking for a CPO to the November meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

The response she complained about had come from the council's town regeneration section.

"The regeneration section have opened a derelict fle on this site and are arranging for an up-to-date inspection. If indicated, we will proceed to serve the relevant notices on the owner and add this site to the Derelict Site register," they said.

The Director of Services Simon Walton promised a better reply.

"This relates to the environment section and town regeneration team but neither are under my remit. I note your disappointment and specific request. I will take it back and rest assured it will be on the desk of the relevant office today," he said.

Cllr Tommy Mulligan seconded the motion.

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"It's not fair. This is in the middle of the estate. People looking at it have paid big mortgages. They deserve better than to be looking at it for 25 years," he said.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald said it was "unbelieveable" that after this long the council has only opened a derelict file on the site.

"It's an ideal opportunity to build two or three affordable homes. We need to grab all the opportunities we can get and turn them into a positive," she said.