No confirmation on demolition at Upper Cork Street
Cork County Council has confirmed that the footpath in Upper Cork Street, Mitchelstown, which has been closed to pedestrians since the partial collapse of a building on 7th July, will reopen ‘as soon as the location is made safe.’
However, they did not confirm if this would happen before September, when schools are due to reopen. Currently, pedestrians need to cross out into the road when they reach the safety barriers on the path.
The pedestrian crossing, which is directly in front of the site at 49 Upper Cork Street, is also inaccessible owing to the safety barriers and danger posed by the site.
PROMPT ACTION NEEDED
As the building is in private ownership, responsibility for the demolition works lie with the property owner.
At the July meeting of the Fermoy Municipal District earlier this week, MDO Pauline Moriarty confirmed that a section of the footpath will remain closed for the foreseeable future. However, the property owner is engaging with the Council to arrange for demolition works to start as soon as possible, and that the case is an ‘active file’ that the council ‘will keep on top of’.
The Council has requested a detailed schedule of the works and associated timeframe from the property owner.
Cllr Kay Dawson urged the council to act quickly owing to the disruption the works are causing to the town. Cllr Deirdre O’Brien echoed the sentiment, and thanked the emergency services and council staff for manning the situation and ensuring the safety of the public.
FERMOY
When queried about the site of a derelict building in Fermoy, The Sessions 59 Club, it was confirmed that the council ‘ are constantly monitoring the situation’.
That building is also in private ownership, and has been on the Derelict Sites Register for over 15 years. The Avondhu has requested information regarding any safety measures being put in place by Cork County Council for the Fermoy building, and are currently awaiting the response to a Freedom of Information request.