Protected buildings cost council €300,000 in roads funding

FAILURE to demolish two protected 19th century buildings in Clare due to local opposition resulted in the council forfeiting €300,000 in funding from its roads budget.

Senior engineer with the council, Tom Tiernan, confirmed yesterday that the council forfeited the monies in its 2010 allocation from the National Roads Authority (NRA) due to work not proceeding on the scheme last year.

Mr Tiernan replied “no” when asked if any demolition work relating to the scheme would take place in 2011.

The two protected structures on Blake’s Corner, Blake’s and Linnane’s, are immortalised in John Hinde postcards and the Save Ennistymon Heritage group have stated that the buildings are at risk of vandalism.

However, the demolition of the buildings would remove the traffic build-up on the N85 in the town that occurs every summer weekend for the tens of thousands of tourists travelling to and from the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch.

Mr Tiernan said: “At present, options are being examined. There’s a traffic problem to be resolved but there’s a conflict between resolution of the traffic problem and the location of the two protected structures.

“Compromise will be necessary and we intend to identify the fairest compromise before we proceed into an appropriate planning process.”

Asked when he expects work to commence on the scheme, Mr Tiernan said: “Shortly after planning approval is confirmed.”

Mr Tiernan said the overall cost of the scheme will be determined by the details of the planning approval.

In relation to the NRA funding the scheme, Mr Tiernan said: “The NRA recognises the need to resolve the traffic problem and the real sensitivities associated with the situation.

He said: “We have been assured that the funding mechanism will be reactivated once the planning process determines the detail of the resolution to be implemented.”

Asked his view on the architectural or historic merit of the buildings, Mr Tiernan said: “We’re taking advice on this from experts with a view to ensuring that we deal with the matter appropriately and sensitively.”

However, Cllr Martin Conway (FG) said yesterday: “The buildings are a disgrace and are falling into disrepair and should be demolished. Those buildings have no good days left and are more an eyesore than anything else. Most of the buildings in Ennistymon have ‘protected’ status.”