Council to make derelict Mallow hotel safe

A TOWN council in County Cork has been granted a court order to allow it make safe a derelict hotel which has been the subject of two arson attacks.

Mallow District Court granted the order to the local town council to enable it carry out the work at Mallow Park Hotel, which has lain unoccupied since 2007.

The hotel, which is on the town’s main street, was damaged by arsonists last January and again six months later.

Town manager Tom Stritch said the council had taken the action under the Dangerous Structures Act and if it wasn’t recompensed for the safety works by the owner they would pursue him again in the courts for the costs.

He said the owner had 10 days to appeal the district court’s decision and if this wasn’t done then the work would be undertaken “as expeditiously as possible”.

The council has started to look for a contractor to make safe the roof, internal floors and to secure all windows and doors so that vandals will be unable to gain access to the property.

Mr Stritch revealed that the council has also issued notices to the owner that it intends to pursue him under Derelict Sites legislation.

Under this legislation if the property is not reconstructed to an acceptable standard the council can technically seek a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) through the courts.

The threat is apparent in the notice issued, but Mr Strict said that no decision had been made at this time as to whether the council would actually pursue a CPO through the courts.

Town councillor Jerry Mullally said he welcomed the recent judgment by Mallow District Court.

“It has been a long road and now the council will be able to carry out the necessary work to make the building safe and I hope the council will make every effort to recoup the costs,” Mr Mullally said.

He said the building, which was severely damaged in the most recent arson attack, had “become a real eyesore”.

Because it was easily accessible the former hotel had become a magnet for antisocial behaviour.

“I doubt that obtaining the court order to make the building safe will be the end of the story. The town council may then be forced to seek a Compulsory Purchase Order,” the Labour Party councillor said. “If this comes to pass and it is granted then I’d hope the building could be done up and used for the people of Mallow. Anyway the priority at the moment is to make it safe,” the councillor said.