Council is urged to CPO derelict building in heart of Ballina

A Ballina councillor has called on Mayo County Council to begin the compulsory purchase order (CPO) process for a derelict former retail premises in the town centre.

Fine Gael Cllr Marie-Therese Duffy called on the local authority to CPO the former €2 Shop on Pearse Street, which she said is in a neglectful and unsightly condition.

“Vacancy and dereliction is unacceptable in a housing crisis. The exterior of this building is in a poor state and is taking away from other businesses in the vicinity,” Cllr Duffy told last Wednesday's meeting of Ballina Municipal District.

The building is not currently on the Derelict Sites Register, although there are 65 buildings on this register in Ballina town alone.

Cllr Duffy said she has attempted to make contact with the registered owners of the building, a Dublin-based pension company named Independent Trustee Company Ltd, but has had little success.

She formally reported the premises as a derelict site requiring inspection and called on the council’s environment section to begin inspections as soon as possible.

“This is one of many examples. There are so many similar sites in the town that need to be put back into use to support the vibrancy of our town centre,” she said.

Head of the district Declan Turnbull said the council would go through the inspection process with regards to the former €2 shop. However, he said the site must first be put on the Derelict Sites Register and then the municipal district must have a purpose for the building before it can purchase it under a CPO.

“We only CPO buildings if there is a use for them. It is mostly done for housing and if the housing section tell us they could turn a building into 10 apartments, then we would look for funding to CPO it,” he said.

Director of Services for the Ballina district Catherine McConnell added that it was unlikely the council would CPO a building without a purpose for it or without a funding source.

“We don’t just CPO buildings ad-hoc,” she said.

Cllr Michael Loftus supported Cllr Duffy’s comments and said the former €2 shop looked a disgrace at the moment.

“Someone has to tidy it up,” he said. “It is very unsightly, especially today on Heritage Day with so many in town and on the streets.”