State building unused for 11 years

AN EMPTY bank building bought for almost

?¬1.5 million by the State more than a decade ago is to remain vacant despite pleas for it to be made available to local voluntary and charitable groups.

The former AIB building on Blanchardstown’s Main Street was bought in April 2002 and was earmarked for a probation office but plans were shelved following protests from concerned local residents.

Five years later proposals to transform the building into a driving test centre were mooted due to a huge learner driver waiting list in Fingal. The Office of Public Works (OPW), which owns the site, lodged an application with Fingal County Council for the test centre and planning was granted without any objections in 2008.

However, the test centre was never built and the planning permission expired in 2011.

Over the years the OPW has been approached about the use of the building by a number of voluntary bodies and organisations, including the Daughters of Charity who requested it for services to adults with intellectual disabilities.

However, all requests were denied, including those from groups who only wanted to use the building on a temporary basis until its future was decided.

In response to a recent parliamentary question from local TD Patrick Nulty, the OPW once again refused to consider requests for the building to be used by the local community because the property is officially up for sale.

The reply from Minister of State for the OPW, Brian Hayes, has left the Dublin West TD fuming and he described the building as a

“vacant eyesore

?.

“I walk through Blanchardstown Village on an almost daily basis and there are almost a dozen vacant or abandoned buildings there for one reason or another,

? he said.

“This former AIB building in public ownership should be put to immediate community usage. For example, I was recently contacted by the local scout group in Blanchardstown who require a permanent scout den – why could they not be allocated this premises?

“That would in my view be a productive use of the public investment rather than waiting endlessly for a commercial buyer who may never materialise.

?

In his response, Minister Hayes confirmed that the OPW had failed to find a State use for building after plans for the local probation office fell through almost a decade ago.

“As no alternative State requirement could be identified for this property at that time, the OPW decided that the property was surplus to requirements and as part of the rationalisation programme it was placed on the market,

? the Minister replied.

The Minister also revealed that discussions had taken place with the Department of Social Protection on the potential to provide local welfare services from the building but this had been ruled out and the premises remained up for sale.

“While there have been expressions of interest in the purchase or leasing of the property, it remains on the market,

? he said.

“As the property remains on the market it would not be appropriate to enter into any licensing arrangement for community use at this time.

?

The Minister also detailed the costs of maintaining the empty building, which he said was exempt from insurance costs because it was State owned.

“The average annual costs are approximately

?¬5,000 covering works to prevent any deterioration of the building, care and maintenance, general repairs and upkeep of the building,

? he added.