The clampers have been put on a proposal to sell off a site at Clonminham Industrial Estate for the time being at least.
The site is to be used for storing cars, but councillor Catherine Fitzgerald threw a spanner in the works she led the charge for further information, not totally convinced that the site would only be used for the storage of vehicles.
Concerns were expressed that the site could be used for the sale of cars or the scrap-age of vehicles.
Before the meeting there was a proposal to sell site 7B, compromising 0.172 hectares in Clonminham Industrial Estate, Portlaoise to Mr Rizwan Hafweez, Stradbrook Apartments, Stradbally Road, Portlaoise for 70k.
Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald immediately queried the use for the site. The Council’s Head of Finance, Mr Gerry Murphy said it would be solely for the storage of surplus cars. He said there would be no repairs, workshops or offices at the location.
‘I don’t believe that for a second,’ replied a dubious Cllr Fitzgerald who felt they would be selling and trading cars off that lot.
Cllr Willie Aird said that the entire area was realistically commercial buildings and not an industrial estate.
“The reality is we sold sites up there and it’s a trading area, people are selling and they’re paying their rates. That’s the truth and we may forget about saying they’re not.
“We might be able to impose those restrictions in the new area at Togher but not here,’ he said, adding that the new signage in Clonminham looks well.
Mr Gerry Murphy reiterated that the site was being purchased for storage, there would be no selling or scrapage and the operation was in any event subject to planning.
But Cllr Fitzgerald insisted that the matter be put back pending further information so that they could have clarity and more detail about exactly what was going on.
Chairman John King adjudicated that they matter be deferred for a month pending clarification.
There were no such impediments to a similar disposal of the adjacent site,7A. This is being sold to Ms Svetiana Fyodorova and Mr Oleg Paskovskij of Globus Impex Ltd., of Woodgrove, Portlaoise. The cost here is also €70k.
The meeting was told that this business was for security fencing and gates.
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