Local residents are celebrating after Meath County Council agreed to list the Old Mill on the register of derelict sites if the owners do not conduct certain works specified by the local authority.

The Irish Times carried a full report on the outcome.

It appears that Meath has commissioned a structural engineer’s report which recommends partial dereliction of the Julianstown eyesore and will now use powers directing the owners to take appropriate steps. If the owners fail to take those steps the procedure to enter the site on the register will commence.

Documents released under FOI show that Meath has declared the site derelict as far back as 2008 and had done virtually nothing to deal with the dereliction. It also shows that persistent complaints from local people had an effect and but the threat of legal action was decisive in getting the council to give a written assurance that progress would be made.

This matter is highly embarrassing for a local authority that markets itself as the gateway to Ireland’s Ancient East and as a place to establish modern business. In reality Meath has around 400 derelict properties that for reasons unknown it refuses to identity on the register.

See Meath’s latest letter below or download

6 LT fr MCC 17.7.2017