In a statement this evening, People Before Profit councillor, Dave O Keeffe announced that the Dun Laoghaire councillors have voted to commence a Compulsory Purchase Order on Tivoli Lodge and York House on York Road in Dun Laoghaire.
Tivoli Lodge and York House are owned by a company on the Virgin Islands and the site is currently on the council’s Derelict Sites Register. The site has been empty for decades now and would be an ideal site for up to 20 homes for those on the council housing list.
Councillor Dave O Keeffe said: “I am delighted that my motion to commence Compulsory Purchase Order proceedings was agreed this evening by all the Dun Laoghaire councillors. The council will now have to start the process and I will then be pursuing the development of this site for public and affordable housing.
“A recent report into CPO’s across the country showed that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown had only CPO’d one property over the last 10 years. It is just not acceptable that given the current housing crisis, the Council is not seeking every opportunity to acquire vacant and derelict sites.
“I will be pursuing this with the council and proposing other suitable properties to purchase over the coming months. There has to be a change of mindset on the council executive where every empty home or undeveloped site is seen as an opportunity to try and alleviate the housing crisis.”