A demand has been made for the Galway City Council to initiate a Compulsory Purchase Order on the controversial and derelict Corrib Great Southern site.
The call comes from Fianna Fáil Galway City East councillor, Alan Cheevers, who said action must be taken given the "absence of a commencement date for the demolition of the site". He has submitted his call as a motion to be debated at the February meeting of the city council.
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In 2020, City Hall issued Statutory Orders to the registered owners of the former Corrib Great Southern, the former Connacht Laundry site, and former Oasis venue in Salthill, using its powers under the Derelict Sites 1990. The orders require the demolition of the buildings to ground level and that works be completed within a specified time frame.
'Eyesore'
However, demolition works are still awaited on the Corrib Great Southern site. "Now is the time for the council to act," said Cllr Cheevers. "We are hearing every month that the demolition is going to start but there is still no action."
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Cllr Cheevers acknowledged that Covid will have an impact on the nature and extent of any work that can be carried out in the near future. However, he said the city needs to see "a crew on site within a week of whenever restrictions are lifted, otherwise the city council "needs to proceed with a CPO".
"The people of the east side of the city have had enough of looking at this eyesore," he said, "which has been a haven for antisocial behavior over the years."
