Laois County Council have made an offer to purchase five houses in the Bruach na hAbhainn estate in Killeen to us “use for housing purposes as soon as possible”.
The issue came up at the recent meeting of the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District, when Cllr Aidan Mullins asked for an update on the council’s intention to place a property in that estate on the Derlict Sites Register.
In response, Angela McEvoy from Laois County Council say that the council has “carried out an initial assessment” of five houses in that estate “in their current condition and has made an offer to purchase”.
“The offer was made subject to the Council carrying out a full assessment, including the interior of the properties,” continued the written response.
“The property owners are in the process of retrieving title deeds and will revert with a response to the Council’s offer in due course.”
Cllr Mullins said he was “delighted to hear … that’s great progress”.
“It was a complicated situation. AIB had possession of the properties,” he said.
Cllr Aisling Moran was also happy to hear of the progress but added that if a property is left idle and going derelict for a certain period of time, it should be taken over by the council.
“There should be a limit put on it,” she said. “It is reducing the value of other people’s houses in that estate. The council should come in and take it over after a certain time.”
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