Removal of waste at derelict site a sign of progress for Sandyford

The local Fine Gael TD, Peter Mathews, has welcomed the commencement of cleaning up a building site in Sandyford.

“For almost five years, local residents have forced to tolerate this eyesore. Builders’ rubble and debris have been left scattered all over the site since Fleming went into receivership.

“On foot of complaints from local residents, I wrote to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council last February requesting that they place this site on the Derelict Sites Register. The Council agreed to do so. This gives them the power to force owners to pay hefty fines if the site remains derelict. As a result, the receivers for the site have now agreed to clean up the area.

“At present there are JCBs, skips and trucks tidying the site. They have assured the Council that, when they have finished, the site will no longer be an eyesore.

“I also requested that the Sentinel Tower in Sandyford be placed on the Derelict Sites Register. This shell of a building is one of the tallest structures in the Dublin suburbs. Its an eyesore that can be seen for miles around. No construction work has taken place on the tower. Following my request, the new owners of the tower are liaising with the Council to discuss planning matters and the completion of the tower.

“This building site alongside the Sandyford Luas line serves as a reminder of everything that went wrong in the country during the Tiger construction bubble years. When the bubble burst all building activity on the site literally stopped overnight. No further work has taken place on the site for almost five years now. Cleaning up this site and completing the tower will be an important sign that Sandyford Business Park has survived the recession and will continue to thrive and prosper.