Former Mallow hotel served with derelict site order

A DERELICT site order has been served on the former Central Hotel in Mallow, which has lain idle for around 16 years.

The town centre site has been vacant since the former hotel closed its doors in 2007, and it has suffered several fires in the years since, becoming increasingly more dilapidated.

The building’s status as a listed building had meant that despite the damage caused by the fires, it could not be demolished, however, in December 2021 Cork county councillors unanimously agreed to delist the building, paving the way for future development.

A derelict site order has now been served on the former hotel in the heart of the town.

In the notice posted at the property, Cork County Council said the building has been deemed as derelict for several reasons, including because the site is “in a dangerous condition”, is “neglected and unsightly” and because of “extensive cracking” to the façade.

The notice stated that full redevelopment would be required to remove the property from the Derelict Sites Register.

The derelict site order was served on Peppard Investments 8 Limited/Peppard Investments Limited, with an address in Wilton.

LEVY

Owners of sites on a local authority’s Derelict Sites Register are liable to pay an annual levy.

Cork County Council’s action in Mallow was welcomed by Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central, Colm Burke, who said it marked “progress” towards removing what he described as an “eyesore”.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes also welcomed the council’s intention to enter the site onto the Derelict Sites Register.

“It’s [the building] a danger to the public, it’s dangerous to traffic passing by, so I think it’s time that something has to be done with it, and I think this is a positive move,” he told The Echo.

“It’s encroaching out onto the footpath, it’s encroaching out onto the parking area of the main street, the hoarding, so this is a positive move. After 16 years it’s time, something has to be done.” 

Mr Hayes noted that “various plans” had been mooted for the redevelopment of the building in previous years.

“Until the plans are submitted, we won’t really know what’s the final outcome,” he added.

Meanwhile, Socialist Party TD for Cork North Central, Mick Barry, said he would like to see Cork County Council acquire the site by compulsory purchase order.

Mr Barry  is asking people to gather at the site on Saturday, November 4, at 1pm “to put pressure on the council to act”.

In a statement to The Echo, Cork County Council said the former Central Hotel in Mallow “is one of a number of properties that Cork County Council has recently surveyed in the context of vacancy and dereliction”.

The statement said the council’s Town Regeneration Office “has surveyed 2,722 such properties and is now in the process of carrying out further assessments on those that are vacant and are considered to meet the legal definition of a derelict site under the Derelict Sites Act 1990”.

“The aim of the Town Regeneration Office is to work collaboratively with property owners to maximise the potential use of vacant and derelict properties in an effort to promote town regeneration and bring vacant and derelict properties back into meaningful use.

“Where collaborative efforts fail, the Derelict Sites Act 1990 provides for the compulsory acquisition of derelict sites by the local authority,” the statement continued.

It further added that, to date in 2023, Cork County Council has compulsorily acquired three derelict sites.

“Compulsory acquisition proceedings have commenced on a further three properties and files on these properties have been referred to An Bord Pleanála for consideration,” the statement added.

Peppard Investments were contacted for comment.