COMHAIRLE CHONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 11, 2006

MOTION No. 2

MOTION: Councillor E. Maloney

 Mayor's Business

That this Council supports the restoration of  "Whitehall House" Kingswood, Tallaght  which was for a period the home of poet Katherine Tynan.  The elected members urge the IRFU to indicate when work will commence on the house,  which is in their ownership and is a protected structure (Ref: 179).

REPORT:

Whitehall House, Ballymount Road is a Protected Structure under the Record of Protected Structures RPS Ref. 197.  Under the Planning and Development Act 2000 there are provisions for the safeguarding of Protected Structures and the responsibilities of occupiers/owners in this regard.  However under the Act there are no provisions which state that an owner should ensure the occupancy of a Protected Structure.

Whitehall House had become vacant and had fallen into a bad state of repair prior to 2000. This was mainly due to vandalism.  In 2000 due to changes in legislation regarding Architectural Heritage the IRFU were served with a Section 10 Notice under the Local Government Planning & Development Act 1999 (now superseded by Section 59 of the Planning & Development Act 2000) in relation to the endangerment of the structure.  The owners carried out the necessary works to make the structure water tight and to secure the site.  The condition of the structure remains as it was in 2003.  

It is an important factor in the conservation of a building that a structure remains in use.  Therefore the Council would welcome the restoration of the existing building as part of a suitable proposal to re-use the Protected Structure. 

 

If the motion is adopted, the IRFU will be written to requesting an indication from the Union, of when it is proposed to re use the building which would assist in its restoration and conservation and of the Council’s willingness to discuss suitable proposals for its re use.