Mayo town centre site is 'derelict' for years

A Claremorris councillor is calling on Mayo County Council to finally do something with a vacant site in the centre of town. 

Cllr Richard Finn told the February meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District that the site near the McWilliam Park Hotel has been derelict for years.

“This land is sitting in the middle of the town. I was involved about 30 years ago in its transaction, and 30 years later when it is in the possession of Mayo County Council, nothing has been done with that ground. If someone gets adverse possession and does something with it, I would have no problem, because it is just lying idle there doing nothing. 

"Successive management in the council have told me, 'We have something in mind', but 30 years is a long time to have something in mind, and it is wrong that a very valuable site in the centre of Claremorris can be left like that.” 

Cllr Finn said otherwise in Claremorris, some positive work is being done by the council, as machinery has just moved in to rejuvenate the historic landfill sites, which will ultimately be converted to a multi-million euro solar farm, “making it one of two projects in progress in the town around renewable energy that will be fed into the grid for benefit of all".

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.