Cobh derelict buildings - time for action

[fullastern]

:mad:I've just read the story about the derelict buildings in Pearse Square and the contempt with which Mr. McDonagh is treating the people of Cobh. This guy is a multi-millionaire and should be forced to either keep his property in good repair or sell it. I would have sympathy with a person without the money to bring a building up to standard, but McDonagh isn't short of cash. He owns Supermacs - a fast food business with franchises all over Ireland.

I propose that a picket be put on some of his franchise stores for starters - obviously the franchise holders aren't to blame for the situation in Cobh but a token picket would ensure the message went back to Mr. Mac. After that his administrative offices in Galway (Ballybrit Industrial Estte) should be targetted with a picket.

Supermacs have branches around Co. Cork, including Youghal, Fermoy, Mallow, etc. There are also branches of "Supermacs Fresh Express" which are mini-Supermacs inside other business premises such as supermarket. There's one of them in Little Island.

Time to up the ante

I'm willing to travel for one of these protests

[Ned Kelly]

Fulla can't the ctc acquire these buildings under the derelict buildings act?

[fullastern]

They should be able to do, but it's a slow process from what I understand. Kieran wrote the article in the paper so I assume he has more details.

[Kieran]

Na'h we tried to catch him on that one, but our Town Manager has assured us that we cant do that from a legal point of view because as ugly as the buildings are, they don not pose a threat to public safety.
I think you hit the nail on the head fulla with the boycott, only that he doesnt have a Supermacs branch in Cobh. He owns the old Welcome Inn and other properties in Cobh and I'm not quiet sure if he still owns the Extravision shop, or if they bought it out from him. If he is rented it, maybe people could boycott the business to put some sort of pressure back on him. He also owns Celtic Holdings in the US- a strings of Irish Theme pubs and restaurants in Boston and New York. If we could get some ex-pats to picket them, it might work!

[Ned Kelly]

Get some of the homeless folk in cobh to squat in his buildings,That will get his gander up and could also have a positive effect on the ctc to get their fingers out and refurbish some of the houses lying vacant around the town!

[Kieran]

Bottom line here is Council Management hides behind the law to avoid spending money. Squatting is one option, but the same guilty party here who flouts the law and refuses to pay penalties to the town council, will be the first person to use the law against those same squatters!

[Kieran]

Has anyone seen the lines they painted a cross the boards as mock windows? I'm sure they only used craones or pencils to draw them -what a joke!

[Ned Kelly]

Kieran do you have any idea how many vacant properties are around the town at the present time, not just council properties but private ones also??

[Kieran]

There is a council derelict register which was put together about 3-4 years ago. It does not include council owned properties, but i'm working on that. Its all privately owned prpoerties. It contained upwards of nearly 40 buildings when it was put together first, but is down to less than 15 now (there abouts). Some are like that because the Council simply cannot locate their absentee owners (some were never registered). Remember what I said about Town Hall not being prepared to spend money on taking them over. I think they would prefer for people to squat and take some of them over. Some times the mention of that is enought to bring the real owners out of the woodwork to claim ownership!

[Kieran]

Cobh declared a seriuosly littered town -55th out of 60 surveyed!

[Katy]

Hi Guys, any update information on the empty property in Cobh? Not sure if I have asked this question before, do the owners of the property have to pay 'rates or some form of local taxes' to the town council. Sorry Kieran if I have asked on another thread. cheers Katy

[Kieran]

You only pay rates if a business operates from a particular building. In the case of the two infamous properties in Casement Sq, the owner is a multi millioneer and the cost of rates wouldnt be any problem to him. He has posted a planning application but there is no sign of any movement yet!