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Traders in Bandon want street reopened urgently

March 25th, 2019 7:05 AM

By Kieran O'Mahony

The scene in December on Oliver Plunkett St after the buildings collapsed onto the road. (Photo: Denis Boyle)

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While Bandon business owners have welcomed the court order allowing Cork County Council to demolish two collapsed buildings on Oliver Plunkett St, they want the Council to move quickly and get the street reopened. 

WHILE Bandon business owners have welcomed the court order allowing Cork County Council to demolish two collapsed buildings on Oliver Plunkett St, they want the Council to move quickly and get the street reopened. 

Part of the street has been closed off since the collapse of two residential buildings on December 10th.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Margaret Daly, who owns ‘Margaret’s An Siopa Bearbóir’ nearby, said the court order, granted last week, was good news for businesses on the street, but that what was needed now was to get footfall back.

‘This is welcome news, but we still don’t know when the demolition work will begin and we are hoping it will be very soon. Businesses on the street have been severely affected since the street was closed last December,’ said Margaret.

A Council spokesperson said: ‘The tender process commenced in advance of the court order and is close to completion. There was no time limit on the court order but the intention is to carry out the works as quickly as possible.’

Chief executive Tim Lucey said that it is regrettable that the owners of the properties in question had not acted fully on foot of the statutory orders and ‘that has prolonged the time which we have had to close off part of Oliver Plunkett St.’

‘We will continue to treat this as a priority due to the strategic positioning of the property within Bandon, and will now proceed swiftly to demolish the buildings and make the area safe so that we can re-open the street at the earliest possible date,’ added Mr Lucey.

Cork County Council was granted the court order at Bandon District Court last Friday to demolish no 2 & 3 Oliver Plunkett St. 

This application was on foot of the failure of the owners of the properties to act on statutory notices served on them in January to demolish and clear the site.

Cork County Council sought  the order under the Local Government Sanitary Services Act 1964, which allows the local authority intervene when there is a dangerous building. 

Bandon-based FF TD Margaret Murphy O’Mahony has welcomed the news and said it was not before time.

‘Business owners and residents have been held to ransom for longer than necessary but the re-opening of the street will also help other businesses, as it will free up the flow of traffic in the town,’ she said and added she will do her utmost to make sure it is followed through as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, a local businessman has taken out an injunction against Cork County Council in a bid to have the footpath on part of Oliver Plunkett St reopened. 

The footpath section has also been closed since December 10th. 

This case is expected to be heard in court in Cork city on Friday.

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