Council moves to begin compulsory purchase of O'Neill's site
After an unsuccessful effort last year to buy the long-derelict former O'Neill's pub site in Athlone, Westmeath County Council has started the process of acquiring it through a compulsory purchase order (CPO).
It's the latest development in a prolonged bid to deal with a site that's been vacant in the centre of town ever since a fire destroyed the pub, and the adjoining Finlay Auctioneering premises, a little over a decade ago.
At a meeting last month, director of services Barry Kehoe said the local authority had been unable to reach an agreement to buy the site and now had no option but to issue a CPO.
"We will now have to go through the statutory route under the Derelict Sites Act... sometimes a CPO goes quickly, and sometimes it goes slowly, but this is the only option open to us at this stage," said Mr Kehoe.
In the Westmeath Independent last week, the council formally advertised its intention to acquire the site by CPO.
As part of the process, any owner, lessee or occupier of the site has until March 5 if they wish to submit an objection, in writing, to the local authority.
The council taking ownership of the site is regarded as key to the urban regeneration project planned for the areas of Pump Lane, Mardyke Street and Sean Costello Street.
It recently emerged that these plans could include the pedestrianisation of Sean Costello Street and a new traffic system.
Athlone Mayor Aengus O'Rourke last month expressed concern that the compulsory purchase of the O'Neill site would involve "a long and very slow" process.
"Going down the statutory route is not something we ever wanted to do in relation to acquiring this site," he commented.
The tenth anniversary of the fire which rendered the site derelict was reached just before Christmas.
The blaze broke out in subzero temperatures on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 22, 2010.
The shell of the pub and auctioneers was subsequently demolished in 2011, and, while planning permission was granted in 2012 for the rebuilding of the businesses, that never happened.