Fears mount for future of major Westport project

The chief executive of Mayo County Council is to be invited to attend a meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District to provide an update on the development of the old convent site at Altamount Street.

There have been long-standing plans to develop new civic offices and a library at the site, but Cllr Brendan Mulroy told last week's municipal meeting that local councillors need an update on it. Newly-elected cathaoirleach Cllr Peter Flynn agreed and said the convent project will be one of the key priorities of his one-year term in office. 

“In terms of the convent, I think we are hitting a critical stage. We are almost 20 years talking about this and the next two weeks will decide if this project lives or dies. 

"The word coming back is not positive and that is very worrying. I hope my first official duty is not to send it to Aughavale (graveyard) and confirm it is dead. I recall a priest some time ago called it ‘a monument of neglect and a disgrace’ and his description was very apt. 

"I hope we are looking at machinery in there at the end of the year and not more neglect because if the convent project does not happen now, it never will, as building costs are only going in one direction.”

Cllr Flynn said there were several elements to the project, including housing, community services and public facilities.

“This project will potentially house 18 retirees, provide a location for Meals and Wheels, contain community buildings that will allow staff of this council and MD have civic offices that don’t present a health and safety risk as this one does here, with mould in our ceilings and corners and the same applies with our library building, which is a thundering disgrace.” 

Cllr Flynn also asked that the project to develop a footpath on the Lodge Road be put on every agenda meeting “for the next number of years until it is done”, saying: “There is a local developer willing to build 160 mixed tenure and age-friendly housing along that road but we need a footpath down to Monamore for planning to be permitted. 

"This is the only land with zoning we own in the urban area and we need to build this path. It is not a big request. 

"We are in middle of the worst housing crisis. We are not talking here about people with addictions, mental health issues or coming from broken homes but people who are renting and can’t buy a home and who are going homeless. We have to do everything to try and make more housing available in our county with a huge focus on the derelict property as not enough is being done to get it back into use.”